Expired aurora

It had been four years since we got married. This year, Ethan finally had some free time to see the Northern Lights with me. We booked tickets to Norway. But right before we left, Ethan bailed.

"Last-minute business trip," he said, "I'll take you next time."

The next day, a video of Ethan on a date with his first love went viral. The pink aurora borealis cast a romantic, otherworldly glow on the couple. A sharp-eyed commenter pointed out, "Is that woman, like, crying?"

It had always been a dream of mine to see the Northern Lights before I turned 30. When Ethan canceled, I silently booked a solo ticket to Norway. In the snowy city, I stumbled upon them, nestled together. Chloe had her arms wrapped around his neck, her cheeks flushed as she whispered, "Thank you for being so sweet, bringing me here to clear my head. The aurora is so beautiful..."

Ethan chuckled, his arms around her waist. "As long as you're happy."

My fingers went numb, but I couldn't resist. I video-called him. His phone lit up in the darkness. He glanced at it, frowning. He didn't answer, just turned off the screen. I stubbornly refused to hang up on the other end. Chloe peered over, her eyes wide and innocent. "Is that Sarah? Why aren't you answering?"

Ethan stroked her hair. "No point. She'll just ask a bunch of questions and ruin your mood."

Chloe giggled, burying her face in his chest. The snow was blinding. I felt like I’d been burned.

Later that night, Ethan finally texted. "Was in a meeting. What's up?"

I stared at the message for a long time. Suddenly, I didn't have the energy to confront him. I followed the flight attendant's instructions and turned off my phone, staring blankly at the snowy landscape outside the window. The flight attendant smiled at me and handed me a card.

"It's a pleasure to have you on board. Happy birthday from the entire crew!"

Maybe she noticed my low spirits. A little while later, she returned with a small cake topped with strawberries. "Happy birthday! Try to enjoy it."

Tears welled up in my eyes.

Ethan came home while I was reviewing schedules. My client, a popular actor, had a shoot in Paris. I wasn't supposed to go, but this time, I decided to take it on. I was leaving tomorrow.

Ethan handed me a beautifully wrapped gift. "Happy birthday."

It was an Edblad box, a classic Norwegian brand. I looked up. "You were in Norway on your business trip?"

He hesitated, avoiding my gaze. "Work's been crazy lately."

I didn’t know when Chloe had become his "work."

Seeing my silence, Ethan frowned. "Are you mad? Because I wasn't here for your birthday?" He sat down next to me, pulling out a necklace from the box. "A belated gift. See? It's the one you liked, right?"

"The one I liked is around Chloe’s neck," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Chloe had even posted a picture of it on Instagram: "He said red looks best with my fair skin ;)"

Ethan froze, glancing at the black pendant in his hand. His embarrassment was obvious. "Don't be...