His Truth Under Anesthesia – My unflappable husband, Julian, had just come out of minor surgery. Before the anesthesia even wore off, he began to ramble. A wicked grin spread across my face as I pulled out my phone to record this rare lapse in his composure. He suddenly turned his head to look at me, asking if I liked the anniversary gift he’d given me. Suppressing a laugh, I played along, asking him why. But he gave me a lazy, sensual smile I’d never seen before, leaned close to my ear, and whispered, his breath hot against my skin: “Because I’d loaded it with selfies of me and Chloe in bed. I spent a whole day admiring them before swapping in your photos at the last second. The thrill of it… It was so exhilarating I just had to share the joy with you.” He smirked, raising an eyebrow. I probably never saw it coming, he added, a cruel twist to his lips.
He hadn’t given me the gift out of love, but for the sheer, intoxicating thrill of the affair. His words were a bucket of ice water poured over my head. The smirk on Julian’s face sent a sharp, excruciating pain through my chest. My hand clenched, and the expensive, custom-made smart pendant he’d given me buckled in my palm. Its screen shattered instantly. Just like our seven-year marriage, crushed by his own hands.1 The “Chloe” Julian mentioned was our neighbor, a popular yoga influencer. I’d always liked her, thinking she was cheerful and bright, while Julian always seemed impatient around her, even making excuses to avoid her. I never imagined that those two, who seemed completely disconnected, had been sleeping together. My phone was still recording. Julian was still hazy from the anesthesia.
A nurse came in to check on him. He grabbed her hand and began to gush excitedly. “I’m so obsessed with Chloe. A few days ago, we were holed up in a boutique hotel for five whole days without leaving.” Hearing this, the nurses stifled their laughter, exchanged a meaningful glance in my direction, and quietly left. Staring at the man on the hospital bed, a sour ache spread through my chest, constricting everything inside me. Julian had lied to me. Those five days he spoke of, he’d told me he was going to Austin for a tech summit. The man on the bed was still waving his arms. “Five days! Five! Do you have any idea what that means?” “Even my wedding wasn’t this crazy.” “Chloe, Chloe! I miss you, Chloe!” … His lovesick cries for her echoed through the VIP room. And I was chilled to the bone. I tilted my head back, trying not to cry, but tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.
My phone buzzed. A DM from Chloe popped up on Instagram. 【Ava, how did Julian’s surgery go?】 Seeing her message, my head swam. She was always overly friendly with me, yet she’d never meet Julian’s eye, claiming she was afraid of disturbing his work. I’d believed her, treating her like a little sister from next door who looked up to me. During Julian’s so-called “business trip,” Chloe, who usually loved updating her social media, hadn’t posted a single thing for days. Worried something had happened to her, I messaged her every day to check in, reminding her over and over to take care of herself. She didn’t say much, only replying with a smiling emoji. 【Okay.】 I then mentioned this to Julian. He told me: 【It’s fine, don’t worry. Maybe she just wants to be alone for a few days.】 I’d found it strange at the time. He acted like he barely knew Chloe, so how could he speak with such certainty? It turned out the reason Chloe didn’t want to be seen was because of him. Just one wall away, the two people I trusted most had betrayed me. Half an hour later, Julian woke up, reverting to his usual icy demeanor.
Seeing the crushed pendant in my hand, he frowned instinctively. “What happened? Are you hurt?” He reached out to take my hand, but I flinched away from his touch. “I’m fine.” “Ava,” Julian began after a pause, his eyes flickering, “I didn’t say anything crazy, did I?” My hand tightened around the remnants of the pendant, my voice coming out a little hoarse. “You didn’t say anything crazy.” On the contrary. You told me every terrible truth I never knew. It was the first time I realized what a phenomenal liar Julian was. I had never once suspected their relationship.
The man propped himself up and cleared his raspy throat. “I want some water.” I handed him the water glass, watching him drink with a lost look on my face. The glass in his hand was also a gift from him. When he gave it to me, was it also because he was so happy after sleeping with Chloe that he wanted to share his joy with me? The thought that this cup I treasured might have such a sordid story behind it made my heart ache relentlessly. Seeing that I hadn’t replied, Chloe called.