I'm Divorcing My Weekend Husband

Six years of marriage, and Julian and I were basically commuter spouses. I stayed in our suburban house, while he lived in his luxury downtown condo during the workweek.

Every Friday night at ten o'clock, he would open the door, wrap his arms around me, and say, "Hey babe, I'm home." Then on Monday morning at six, he would kiss my forehead and say, "See you Friday, honey." I always thought this was just a compromise we made for his career.

Until three weeks ago. I had a sudden flareup of acute appendicitis. I was curled up on the cold floor in agonizing pain, crying into the phone, begging him to come back.

He said, "Chloe, I have a major project presentation tomorrow at nine in the morning. I really can't leave right now." "Just hang in there. I already called 911.

The ambulance should be there any minute." Late that night, I signed my own surgical consent form alone in the ER. The day after I was discharged was our sixth wedding anniversary.

It happened to be a Wednesday. I decided to be the bigger person. I packed some nice champagne and steaks, drove over an hour downtown, wanting to give him a surprise.

Just as I was about to ring the doorbell, a young woman opened the door from the inside. She froze when she saw me, but then she smiled warmly. "Chloe?

What are you doing here at this hour?" Before I could say anything, a voice called out from inside the apartment. "Amber, the fresh oysters Julian had flown in for you just arrived!" "He knew you couldn't eat them raw, so he specifically had the chef cook them first." I stood at the doorway, looking down at the steaks in my hands.

Suddenly, I really wanted to know. Who exactly did Julian plan on spending this anniversary with?

Amber quickly recovered, stepping aside to let me in. "Chloe, don't get the wrong idea.

A few of us from the project team worked late last night, so we decided to get together for dinner today." I walked in. Sure enough, there were two other men in the living room.

One was setting the table, and the other was unpacking the oysters. When they saw me, they both froze. Then, one of them immediately laughed. "Chloe?

No wonder Julian has been so distracted since this afternoon. Turns out he was waiting for a surprise." Amber knelt down to grab some slippers for me.

In the very back of the shoe rack, there was a brandnew pair of women's slippers, with the tags still on. "Here, use these.

Julian bought them just last month." I blinked. "He bought them for me?" "Yeah, he said in case you ever dropped by out of nowhere, he didn't want you walking around barefoot." Amber spoke so naturally, as if she were the actual mistress of this apartment.

I looked down at the shoes, a bitter taste rising in my throat. Julian remembered to buy slippers for me. But in six years, I had never worn them once.

The apartment was completely different from what I remembered. Six years ago, when Julian was first transferred to this city, I helped him unpack.

Back then, the living room was empty. We bought the couch, the curtains, and the dinnerware together.

But then his project dragged on from six months to a year, then to three years, and now, to six. I had never come back since. Now, the balcony was filled with lush green plants.

There was a firstaid kit with daily vitamins under the coffee table, and sticky notes were cluttered all over the fridge door.

There were several sets of plates neatly arranged on the dining table. Amber was in the kitchen mixing the dipping sauce.

I asked casually, "Did Julian buy these oysters?" A colleague laughed. "Amber's been talking about them for a week.

Julian had them specially flown in." Amber immediately glared at him playfully. "Hey, make it sound like they're only for me! You better eat less later." They all laughed.

I forced a smile and laughed along. Just then, the smart lock beeped. Julian walked in. He was holding grocery bags in his left hand and a dessert box in his right.

The moment his eyes met mine, he stopped dead in his tracks. "Chloe?" Before I could speak, he quickly set the bags down in the hallway and walked over to me. "What are you doing here?" He looked completely oblivious to what day it was today.

There wasn't a hint of guilt in his voice. I held up the steaks. "Wanted to surprise you." "Why didn't you tell me?

I would've driven to pick you up." Julian took the steaks from me, looking down at my face. "Have you lost weight?" Before I could answer, Amber giggled from the kitchen. "Alright, Julian, that's enough.

The rest of us are still in the room, you know." The other colleague joined in on the teasing. "Chloe, you have no idea.

Julian is always the most eager to leave on Friday afternoons.

Last week, a client dinner wasn't even over at eightthirty, but he just put his glass down and left, saying his wife was waiting for him at home." Julian laughed and shook his head. "Shut up." I looked at him. "Really?" "Of course." He gently pinched my cheek. "If I don't go back, who's going to cook for you?" In that single moment, the heavy rock that had been weighing on my chest all the way here lifted just a little.

He was still the Julian I knew. He was still the husband who would do whatever it took to come home to me every Friday, no matter how late it was.

Dinner was much livelier than I expected. Julian sat right next to me. As soon as the food was served, he pushed a salad bowl away from me. "Don't eat this one.

It has onions." I felt a bit embarrassed. "I can see that, Julian." "Just making sure you don't grab it by mistake.

You know how bloated you get." As he spoke, he leaned over to cut my steak into bitesized pieces.

A colleague clicked his tongue. "Chloe, seriously, we usually ask Julian to cut some cheese for us and he complains about getting his hands dirty." Julian didn't even look up. "Are any of you my wife?" Everyone at the table laughed.

I smiled, too. Halfway through the meal, I casually put a grilled chicken wing onto his plate.

But Amber instinctively blurted out, "Julian can't eat spicy food right now." My fork froze in midair. Amber also realized her slip.

She quickly smiled and explained, "His stomach has been acting up these past two days.

The doctor put him on a bland diet." I turned to Julian. "Your stomach is hurting again?" "Just a minor thing." "Why didn't you tell me?" Julian smiled softly. "It's already better.

Why worry you?" He winked at me. "I don't want Mrs. Miller worrying from sixty miles away." I remained silent. The others quickly changed the subject.

After a while, a colleague opened a bottle of wine. Amber immediately snatched Julian's glass away. "You are not drinking tonight.

Your stomach pain was so bad two nights ago, have you already forgotten?" Julian frowned. "Just one glass." "No." "Half a glass?" "No way." The colleague laughed. "See, Chloe?

Amber is the only one who can keep Julian in check. She nags him to leave the office at midnight, and she bans him from drinking when his stomach hurts.

We all joke that Amber is basically Julian's nanny." My grip on my fork tightened. Amber quickly waved her hand. "More like a team captain.

We just live in the same neighborhood, so we see each other all the time.

If he actually gets a stomach ulcer and ends up in the hospital, who's going to finish our project?" Julian laughed too. "She just worries too much." Their tone was so open and casual that if I made a scene, it would only make me look petty.

I kept my head down, chewing my food. Technically, there was nothing going on. Amber didn't call him babe. There was no physical touching. No hiding in the shadows.

Everyone here knew I was Julian's wife, and they all knew he went home to me every single Friday. But for some reason, I felt suffocated. I knew Julian didn't eat onions.

I knew which football team he rooted for in college. I knew he got drunk for the first time when he was twentythree.

But Amber knew exactly what time his stomach started hurting yesterday. She knew he couldn't drink right now. She knew what time he should log off on weekdays.

And I knew none of these things. After dinner, the colleagues began to leave. Amber was the last to walk out.

Before leaving, she even helped clean up the kitchen. "Chloe, you should come over more often.

Julian keeps bragging on Snapchat about how your Beef Bourguignon is the best in the world, but none of us have ever gotten to taste it." I gave a polite smile. "I'll make some for you guys next time." "It's a deal then!" The door clicked shut.

The living room suddenly became very quiet.

Julian wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Hey, what's wrong?" "What do you mean?" "You got really quiet during dinner." I turned around to face him. "Are you and Amber really close?" Julian answered without a second of hesitation. "We've been project partners for six years.

Of course we're close." "She knew your stomach was hurting." "My stomach flared up during the meeting yesterday.

Everyone saw it." "And she controls your drinking." Julian stared at me for a couple of seconds, then suddenly chuckled. "Chloe, are you jealous?" "No." "Your face is practically dragging on the floor, and you're saying you're not?" I shoved him lightly. "Who would be jealous over you?" But Julian only held me tighter. "I'm actually happy you're jealous." "You're crazy." "I'm serious." He leaned down and kissed me gently. "At least it proves my wife still cares about me." The sourness in my chest was slowly washed away by his kiss.

Julian took my hand and led me to the front door.

He pulled out his phone. "I just deleted her fingerprint access from the smart lock." I was stunned. "I didn't ask you to do that." "Do you think I'm stupid?

I could tell you were upset. Why keep it?" "What if she needs to grab something for work when you're busy?" "She can knock." He said it firmly.

After deleting the print, he showed the screen to me. "I won't invite them over anymore." I looked at the screen. Suddenly, my earlier jealousy felt a bit ridiculous.

If there was really something going on between Julian and Amber, how could he delete her access so easily right in front of me?

Seeing that I was still silent, he reached out and ruffled my hair. "She's really just a colleague, Chloe." "Okay." "If I actually liked her, why would I exhaust myself driving three hours back and forth every single weekend just to be with you?" His words made perfect sense.

I had absolutely no counterargument.

That night was the first time I slept in Julian's apartment. Our wedding photo was sitting on the nightstand.

Inside the bathroom cabinet, there was an unopened luxury skincare gift set. The exact brand I always used.

I picked it up. "When did you buy this?" "I buy one every year." He looked at me with a smile. "I replace it every year." "But I never came here." "That's why it's still wrapped." Julian pulled me into his arms from behind. "I just thought, in case you ever decided to come over, I didn't want you to have nothing here." My nose suddenly tingled with warmth. "Then why did you never ask me to come?" He paused. "I thought you hated commuting." "When did I ever say that?" "You barely even want to go downstairs on weekends.

I assumed making you drive an hour and a half to get here would just annoy you." He leaned down and kissed my ear. "But you should come more often now." I leaned against his chest.

After a moment, I asked, "Could you start coming back on weekdays too?" Julian fell silent for half a second. "Once this project wraps up." I closed my eyes.

It was always the same excuse. But I didn't push it. He had just deleted another woman's fingerprint access for me.

I began to think that maybe I really was just overthinking things. The next morning, when I woke up, Julian had already brought breakfast back. "I took the day off today.

I'm taking you to the Pearl District this afternoon." I was stunned. "You still remember that place?" "Of course." We had visited this city once when we were dating.

Back then, the Pearl District had just been renovated. I ate my way through the entire waterfront, and before leaving, I told him we had to come back.

That "next time" had been put off for years. Around eleven, Julian had just finished a video conference when his phone rang. It was Amber.

He answered. "Hey, what's up?" I didn't hear what she said on the other end. But the smile on Julian's face vanished instantly. "Don't panic.

Did the school nurse take his temperature?" I looked up.

He was already standing up, grabbing his car keys. "How high is it? 102 degrees?" It wasn't until he reached the hallway that he seemed to remember I was there. He froze.

I asked, "Her son?" Julian nodded. "The school called saying Leo suddenly has a dangerously high fever.

Amber is in the middle of a major client presentation right now, and her exhusband is out of town on business.

She can't get away." "So?" "She asked if I could run to the school, pick him up, and take him to the ER." He looked at me anxiously. I stared back at him.

Julian gripped his car keys tightly. After a few seconds, he said, "I'll just drop him off at the hospital and come straight back. Once Amber gets there, I'll leave.

Two hours max." I asked, "What about the Pearl District?" "We can still go this afternoon.

There's plenty of time." He stepped forward and hugged me quickly. "This is a real emergency. I'm so sorry, babe." I didn't stop him. "Go ahead." Julian left. Twelve o'clock.

One o'clock. Two o'clock. I waited in the empty apartment all by myself.

At twothirty, he sent a text saying Amber had arrived at the hospital. "On my way back now." At threetwenty, he sent another update saying the boy kept throwing up, and the doctor wanted to keep him for observation.

At four o'clock, he texted that Amber hadn't had time to eat, so he went out to grab her some food.

By fivethirty, the string lights in the Pearl District would already be turned on. At sevenforty in the evening, the door finally clicked open.

Julian walked in holding a boutique cake box. "Chloe." I was sitting on the couch, watching TV.

He placed the cake on the coffee table and knelt down in front of me. "It took way longer than I thought." "Yeah." "The kid kept throwing up.

Amber was in a complete panic and couldn't handle it alone." "Okay." Julian frowned. "Are you mad?" "No." "Are you sure?" "The kid was sick. It was an emergency.

Why would I pick a fight over a sevenyearold?" Julian visibly let out a sigh of relief. He opened the cake box. "I took a detour to get this for you.

Your favorite red velvet." I looked at the logo on the box. It was indeed my favorite bakery. Every Friday before, he would bring home a slice of this.

The anger in my heart dissolved a little. He was always like this. Every time he made me feel miserable, he would use these familiar gestures of kindness to pull me right back in.

Julian cut a slice of cake and handed it to me. "I'll take tomorrow off to spend the day with you at the Pearl District." I took the plate. "Tomorrow is Friday." He blinked. "You were supposed to come home tomorrow night anyway." Julian smiled. "Then I'll just take the whole day off so we can have the afternoon together." Just as the words left his mouth, his phone buzzed.

It was a Snapchat voice note from Amber. Julian's hands were covered in frosting, so he just tapped the speakerphone.

Amber's voice echoed through the quiet room. "Julian, thank you so much for today. I seriously owe you one. Just like that time with Milo...

If you hadn't been there for me, I really don't know how I would have survived it on my own." My hand froze. The audio ended. The living room fell into a dead silence.

I asked, "Who is Milo?" Julian's hand paused as he wiped the frosting. "Her cat." "What about him?" "He passed away a while ago." For some reason, my heart dropped. "When?" Julian didn't answer.

I stared at him, raising my voice. "When did Milo die, Julian?" His face slowly turned pale. I pressed on. "What day of the week was it?" A few agonizing seconds passed.

Julian whispered, "Three weeks ago. On Wednesday."

Three weeks ago, on a Wednesday. My mother had fallen down the stairs. Her surgery was scheduled for ten o'clock the next morning.

Around nine that Wednesday night, the nurse handed me the surgical consent forms. I stood in the cold, sterile hospital hallway, crying as I called Julian.

I didn't even pick a fight with him that night. I just sobbed and asked: "Julian, can you please come back just this once?

I'm alone at the hospital, and I'm really scared." He had told me: "Chloe, I have a massive project presentation tomorrow at nine.

If I drive back now, I'll have to hit the road again at five tomorrow morning.

Driving three hours back and forth is just pointless." All this time, I thought he had been working late at the office that night.

I stared at Julian. "What time did you go over to comfort her?" He remained silent. "Around nine PM?" Julian's Adam's apple bobbed. "Somewhere around there." "And what time did you get back to your place?" "Around one in the morning." I let out a dry laugh. "Didn't you have a major presentation at nine the next morning?" "Yeah." "Did you make it?" "Yes, I did." "So driving three hours back and forth wasn't too exhausting for that, was it?" Julian's face drained of all color. "Chloe." I locked my eyes onto him. "Didn't you say driving three hours was pointless?" "That's not the same thing." "How is it not the same?" Julian stood up, his voice growing tense and defensive. "The doctor said your mom's surgery was incredibly lowrisk!

You were already in a hospital surrounded by professionals. Amber was completely losing her mind that night.

Milo had been with her for thirteen years, and her mental health has been terrible since the divorce.

I was terrified she might do something stupid if she was left alone." I looked at him, my voice barely a whisper. "But I told you I was scared, too." He fell completely silent.

I asked, "Do you even remember that?" "I do." "Then why didn't you come back?" "Chloe..." "Why is it that when her son has a fever, you'd let me wait all day without a second thought?

Why is it that when her cat dies, you can stay with her until one in the morning despite having a critical presentation the next day?" "Why do my emergencies always have to wait until Friday?" Julian's expression became increasingly strained under my questioning.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, and in a moment of frustration, the words slipped out: "Because you and Amber are different!" I suddenly went quiet.

Julian froze, realizing what he had just said. I asked quietly, "How are we different?" He pressed his lips into a tight line.

After a long pause, he finally whispered, "You've always been independent, Chloe. You can handle things on your own. But Amber panics easily.

She doesn't have anyone else in this city to help her." I stood there, staring at him, completely speechless.