**A Just Reward**
Foolish actions often lead to unexpected consequences. There’s a reason for everything—fate has a way of balancing the scales. Sometimes, life tests our patience, loyalty, and endurance.
Slamming the door behind him, Edward stormed out of the flat, fists clenched, jaw tight with frustration. He was furious—at himself, at his wife, at the whole wretched situation.
*Why can’t I stand up to her?* he thought bitterly. *I love her, I’d do anything for her, and yet nothing I do is ever enough.*
He couldn’t understand why Charlotte was always so dissatisfied. Her cold stares, mocking smirks, the way she belittled him in front of their friends—it chipped away at him, piece by piece. Five years of marriage, a three-year-old son, William, and yet their relationship felt like it was crumbling.
Just last week, he’d rushed home from work with a bouquet of roses and a small velvet box containing a gold pendant. It was their anniversary—five years together. He’d imagined her smiling, thanking him, maybe even hugging him.
Instead, she’d tossed the flowers onto the sofa, opened the box, and scoffed.
*”This is all you could manage?”* she sneered. *”I thought I married a man who valued me. Diamond earrings would’ve been more fitting, don’t you think? Or is five years of my life only worth this cheap trinket?”*
She flung the pendant onto the cushions, watching with satisfaction as his face fell.
*”I married a real man, not some spineless disappointment who can’t even afford proper gifts.”*
Edward had bitten back his words, refusing to stoop to her level. He loved her—or at least, he loved the woman she’d once been. So he left, slamming the door behind him.
He wandered aimlessly, finally stumbling into a pub. He wasn’t a drinker, but tonight, he needed something to numb the frustration. He ordered a whiskey, then another, raising his glass in a bitter toast.
*”Happy anniversary, Edward. Here’s to five miserable years.”*
A woman’s voice broke through his haze. *”Mind if I join you?”*
She had tearstained cheeks, a quiet sadness in her eyes. He barely knew her, but misery loves company.
*”Why not?”* he muttered.
He woke the next morning with a splitting headache, disoriented, in a stranger’s bed. Guilt hit him like a fist to the gut. He’d never cheated before—never even considered it. He dressed quickly, slipping out before she woke.
Back home, Charlotte was waiting, furious.
*”Where the hell were you?”*
*”At a mate’s. Got drunk after our fight. Didn’t think you’d want me stumbling in like that.”*
She believed him. Or pretended to. Either way, the storm passed. For days, she was almost pleasant—laughing, joking, acting like the woman he’d married. But the guilt gnawed at him.
He decided to make it up to her. He’d buy her those diamond earrings after all, even if it meant borrowing from his mother. *”You spoil that woman,”* she grumbled, but handed over the money.
On his day off, he bought the earrings, picked up white roses, and hurried home, eager to surprise Charlotte. William was at his grandmother’s—tonight would be just the two of them.
But when he opened the door, he heard voices.
Candles flickered on the dining table. Charlotte, in a dress far too revealing for an evening at home, was laughing with a man he didn’t recognise.
*”You’ve done this before,”* Edward realized, fury boiling in his veins.
Charlotte barely flinched. *”This is Daniel. My ex. He’s divorced now. We’re back together.”* She smirked. *”You were just a placeholder. Now get out.”*
Edward left before he did something he’d regret.
He found himself standing outside the flat of the woman from the pub—Emily. When she opened the door, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
*”I’m sorry,”* she stammered. *”I’d never drunk like that before—my boyfriend had just left me—”*
*”No, I’m the one who’s sorry,”* Edward said.
They talked over tea. She offered him the spare room. *”Maybe you’ll patch things up with Charlotte. For William’s sake.”*
He didn’t.
When he returned days later to collect his things, the locks had been changed. Daniel answered the door. Charlotte’s voice rang from the kitchen: *”I filed for divorce.”*
Emily turned out to be everything Charlotte wasn’t—kind, gentle, patient. William adored her. When she announced her pregnancy, Edward proposed.
Months later, Charlotte called. *”Take William,”* she said flatly. *”Daniel finds him annoying.”*
Edward didn’t hesitate.
Life was peaceful now. Until Charlotte called again.
*”I need you,”* she whispered when he arrived. *”Daniel left me. I’m pregnant. Maybe we can start over?”*
He stepped back, noticing the bump. *”Your problems aren’t mine anymore.”*
And he walked away.
Sometimes, fate doesn’t just test us—it rewards us. And Edward had finally earned his.
