In the biting winter cold, I squatted by the roadside, silently smoking one cigarette after another, letting snowflakes cover me until I became a snowman.
I stared into the pitch-black, deep night in a daze, with the scene from earlier constantly replaying in my mind.
Celine's joyous laughter echoed in my ears. I never expected my wife, someone usually so gentle and elegant, to do something so outrageous. Every movement of her body was like a sharp knife stabbing into my chest.
When I returned home from the office, my parents' concerned gazes fell on me, "Why do you look so pale? Where's Celine?"
I came up with a random excuse to deflect, "She's too busy with work to join us for New Year's Eve dinner."
Mom immediately chimed in, worried, "She's just a woman, working so hard during the holidays. Be more understanding of her."
Dad also added a comment, "How long do you plan to keep this from her? The enormous Caresso Family business, the entire Caresso Corporation, with assets worth billions, she could easily just stop working and relax as a well-taken-care-of wife."
I remained silent, quietly taking out a small brocade box from my pocket. When I opened it, a dazzling light filled the room.