“Happy birthday. Hope I’m the first to send you wishes.”

The first message Mike saw that morning came from Lotus.

“Thanks.” He replied with a simple emoji.

“I sent you a birthday gift. When will you come pick it up?”

“What gift? Where should I pick it up?”

“It’s me. I’m in your city now, staying at the South Suburb Leisure Resort Hotel. When are you coming?”

“I’ll come tonight.”

Mike chuckled softly, then lifted his phone to his ear, pretending to take a call. “Hello? What? A problem with the bid’s technical specs? … Oh, I see. I’ll book a flight immediately.”

He hung up the silent call, his face shifting into urgency. Striding out of the bathroom, he told Amanda, “There’s a problem with the bidding documents. I need to go back right away.”

“Why so sudden? You’ve only been home for two days. Tell them you’ll return tomorrow—at least stay for your birthday today.”

“It’s too critical. I can’t risk it,” Mike said firmly, though his eyes avoided hers.

Just then, the front door clicked open. His mother-in-law walked in, arms straining with two bulging grocery bags, her face radiant. “Mike, you’re up? Look, I bought fresh sea bass—steamed will be the best! And pork knuckle, slow-braised until it melts in your mouth…” She stopped mid-sentence, catching the heavy atmosphere. “What’s going on?”

“Mom, he says work is urgent. He needs to leave now,” Amanda explained.

“What? Today’s his birthday! No matter how busy, nothing is more important than that. Absolutely not—you’re staying for lunch and cake before you leave!” Her tone brooked no argument, the authority of a lifelong matriarch filling the room.

At noon, the cake arrived: a glossy chocolate cream cake, candles flickering warmly.

“Honey, make a wish,” Amanda whispered.

Mike closed his eyes. It should have been a moment for joy, but his mind was a battlefield. On one side stood his wife and son, glowing with expectation, and his mother-in-law bustling in the kitchen. On the other, the thrill of temptation awaited in a quiet hotel room. What am I doing?

He cut the first slice for his mother-in-law, the second for his wife. Family warmth wrapped him tightly, yet he felt it as a chain. The more tender the moment, the sharper the tearing inside—as though he wore a suffocating mask.

Marriage… three parts: intellectual resonance, physical harmony, financial partnership. Once I believed they could coexist. But time eroded resonance, children dissolved desire, and now only money binds us. Could I split them apart? Maintain duty and finances here, while seeking spirit and body with Lotus?

The thought struck him as absurd, almost laughable. If it took two women to build one complete marriage, wasn’t that just another form of deception? His smile stiffened as he forced it to hold, playing his role in a picture of perfection.

Night fell. Northern summer air drifted cool and refreshing through the resort gardens. Pathways wound among trees, lit by gentle ground lamps.

Mike and Lotus walked side by side, footsteps unusually clear in the quiet. Their arms brushed briefly, then separated.

“The air’s so fresh—so much better than the city,” Mike said, filling his lungs with it.

“Yes. I chose this place after reading travel guides,” Lotus replied lightly. Her simple dress fluttered in the evening breeze, tracing her figure.

At the lake’s edge, a wooden boardwalk reached into the water. Moonlight and lamplight scattered silver across the rippling surface.

“Today… is your birthday. Happy birthday,” Lotus murmured. “Close your eyes. I have a gift.”

Mike obeyed. Lotus unclasped the jade pendant from her neck—shaped like a lotus petal, still warm with her skin—and placed it gently around his.

“My grandfather gave this to me when I was born. He said it would bring good fortune.”

Mike bent his head as she fastened it. She drew closer, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. He pulled her waist into his arms, and restraint dissolved in their embrace.

Afterward, they stood quietly, gazing at the lake shimmering with silver light. The scent of her perfume mingled with the night air—an intoxicating blend of city allure and hidden intimacy.

“Come on,” Lotus whispered, stepping forward along the path. This time, Mike followed more closely. The space between them had vanished.