Crystalâs face was the first thing Henry saw when he woke up the next day.
She was kneeling beside the couch and pulling the blanket over Skylerâs legs.
There was something off about the way Henry and Crystal looked at each other, especially after she discovered his secret last night. Even so, Crystal maintained a gentle tone as she asked, âWhy are you and Skyler sleeping in the study?â
Henry stared long and hard at her before replying in a hoarse voice, âI didnât want to wake you.â
It was clear as day that he was simply making that excuse up, but Crystal didnât question him about it any further.
All she did was pat Skyler on the head as she said, âIâll go make us breakfast.â
She was about to walk off when Henry grabbed her by the arm and said, âCrystal, I want you to make me breakfast.
Crystal froze for a few seconds before replying with a smile, âOkay.â
Henry looked at her slender and graceful figure from behind as she made her way out of the study.
I think I know what heâs upset about, but I refuse to give it to him unless he asks. Still, would I really give it to him if he asked?
Henry entered the kitchen while Crystal was making breakfast. He was sharply dressed and exuded a faint fragrant scent of aftershave.
After walking up to Crystal for his morning kiss, he whispered into her ear from behind, âYou heard me last night, didnât you?â
Huh? What?
For a second there, Crystal got confused and tried to push him away, but Henry wrapped his arm tightly around her waist.
Given how tightly he was pressing his body against hers, it wasnât hard for her to figure out what he wanted. We had sex last night, though! Was that not enough for him?
âI have to send Skyler to school soon, and you need to get to work as well.â
âStop finding excuses to reject my advances, Crystal. Do you not care about me anymore? You didnât ask about Laraâs letter, you didnât ask about my body, and you never called me while I was out socializing with others...â Unable to contain himself any longer, Henry asked, âDo you still love me, Crystal?â
Crystal froze upon hearing that.
He has been treating me very well ever since we got back together, and he has never asked me for anything. I canât believe heâd ask me for love right now. There are lots of things in the world that one could obtain, but love is a luxury for people of our age. I still remember how I used to be desperate for his love back then, and yet, heâs the one who demands my love now.
Crystal gently caressed his handsome face which felt warm to the touch.
She was satisfied with the way things were, so she had assumed he would feel satisfied as well.
She did not expect him to make such a huge fuss about it.
âOf course I do,â Crystal replied with a faint smile.
Henry stared at her for a few seconds before saying, âIâll have Jamie free up my schedule for a month so I can take us all on a family trip. Weâll travel all over the country.â
Crystal frowned when she heard that.
âBut Skyler has classes to attend, and she canât stop her piano lessons either. Remi is too young for travel, and...â
Despite her rambling, she never actually gave him a decisive answer.
Henryâs eyes turned slightly gloomy when he heard her response.
She has never looked forward to traveling with me, has she? I bet she never expected anything other than living an ordinary life with me! She doesnât love me!
Henry suggested after a long pause, âLetâs go see a psychiatrist, Crystal.â
He assumed it was a psychological problem with either one of them that caused all of this.
âI think weâre doing just fine. This is how most married couples live their lives, Henry.â Crystal turned him down and continued making breakfast.
Henry let go of her and said in a hoarse voice, âWe are not the same as other married couples.â
He had seen how passionate she was toward him in the past, but she was currently treating him as though their marriage was a mere formality.
After so many months, Henry was finally willing to admit that he had never truly obtained her.
He realized that Crystal had continued playing the role of a perfect wife and a gentle mother simply because he had insisted on it.
She even went as far as satisfying him in bed, but Henry could tell that she had lost all feelings of love for him.
All Crystal did was go along with him whenever he showed her affection, which left him feeling helplessly defeated as he knew he could no longer provide her with joy and happiness.
He didnât dare pressure her any further, nor did he force her into having sex with him. Their routine of having sex twice a week eventually got reduced to once a week.
The days went by peacefully even though they were rather boring. Fortunately, the kids were both healthy.
Henry knew for a fact that Crystal had some psychological issues that she simply didnât want to seek treatment for.
He tried his best to treat her as well as possible as he feared she would someday leave him because their life was too boring.
As for the class reunion, it got postponed by a month due to some special reasons.
Crystal was shopping with Melora, who had gotten rather wealthy after becoming a famous model for commercials.
Thanks to her newfound independence, she finally moved out of the Miller residence with Berthold. Crystal was shocked when she heard that.
Little did she know Melora only did so because a certain someone had once mentioned that he admired independent women.
After getting tired from all that shopping, the two sat down at a café to have some coffee.
To their surprise, Madison happened to be there as well.
Madison eyed Crystal from head to toe before pinching her on the cheeks. âJust what kind of diet are you on, Crystal? Not only have you not aged one bit, but your skin seems a lot more radiant now! Let me guess, it must be the amazing sex with Henry, right?â
Crystal felt it was inappropriate to discuss her sex life with those two, so she simply flashed them a smile in response.
Madison changed the subject by bringing up the class reunion. âItâs been quite a few years since we last saw our classmates. I wonder what they all look like now! Do you still remember Clementine? She became the wife of the owner of a coal mine after torturing his first wife to death. She seems to be living a good life. Robert is still single, though.â
Crystal simply listened on in silence.
Melora, too, kept quiet and didnât dare say a word.-
They could barely even remember Robert because they hadnât seen him in so long.
After they finished their coffee, Melora excused herself as she still had some business to attend to, and Madison needed to go pick her son up from school..
There was an event at Skylerâs kindergarten. Crystal decided to continue shopping on her own. Since at class reunion was what led to her having sex with Henry back then, she didnât feel all that comfortable. attending it.
It is believed that women never forget their first time having sex, and Crystal was no exception.
She felt a strong urge to avoid the topic whenever someone brought it up.
Crystal gave Henry a call and told him to pick Skyler up from school because she had some stuff to take care of.
Henry fell silent for a brief moment before agreeing to her request.
Instead of having the driver send her there, Crystal slowly walked toward the condominium they used to live in.
The city lit up with neon lights as the sky grew darker.
Crystal teared up a little when she saw that the Ferris wheel was still there.
Later that night, she opened the door of the condominium unit.
Apart from the Morning Dew piano, which had been moved away, everything looked exactly the way it was before. It wasnât until she sat down in the silence of the living room that she finally had the question herself.
Is it true? Do I really not love Henry anymore? For some reason, I just donât feel like removing our previous wedding ring, nor do I feel like starting over with him regardless of how well he treats me. Is my heart really filled with nothing but the past? Is it true that I donât treat Henry like my husband? Am I really only using him to make my life complete?
It was really late at night as Crystal sat there with those thoughts running through her mind.
Since she no longer had to play the role of the perfect wife while being all by herself in that condominium, Crystal was able to give in to her emotions. She wept silently as she reminisced the past.
Suddenly, a beam of light came pouring into the dark living room as someone slowly opened the door.
Crystal looked up and saw Henry standing by the door with a plastic bag in his hand. She had no idea. what was inside, but she could smell food from where she sat.
âThe kids are asleep. Skyler will look after Remi, and the housekeepers can look after them as well. We can spend the night here tonight,â Henry said in a gentle voice.
Crystal simply sat there and stared at him in silence.
Henry was about to reach for the light switch when she said, âD-Donât turn on the lights!â
She didnât want him to see how she looked as she had been crying earlier.
Henry closed the door behind him and made his way over using the dim moonlight pouring in through the windows. âIâm sorry, Crystal. Iâm really sorry!â
I neglected her when she suffered from postpartum depression after giving birth to Skyler, and I made her angry after she gave birth to Remi as well.
Everyone thought she was strong, and she even believed that they would be able to repair their relationship after getting back together. However, unbeknownst to everyone, Crystal had developed a mental illness that would only worsen the more they tried to repair their relationship. Eventually, she came to realize that she had some psychological issues as well.
Henry hugged her tightly while she sobbed and comforted her in a gentle voice, âItâs okay. Iâll always be here with you. Weâll go see a doctor tomorrow, okay?â