ManyWriters

Nolan planned sixty-six romantic getaways to propose to me, all in the name of love.
On the sixty-seventh attempt, I was finally moved by his dedication.
On our first day of marriage, I prepared sixty-six "Get Out of Jail Free" cards.
We agreed that whenever he upset me, he could use one of these cards for a free pass to forgiveness.
For six years of marriage, every time he angered me because of his childhood sweetheart, I'd let him redeem one "Get Out of Jail Free" card.
By the time we reached the 64th card, Nolan began to sense something was off with me.
I stopped reminding him to be mindful of boundaries, and I no longer needed him.
I only held him back to ask when he was about to abandon me again for his childhood sweetheart.
"If you're going to see her, can I use a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card to offset it?"
Nolan's steps faltered for a moment as he looked at me helplessly.
"Use it if you want. There are plenty left anyway."
I nodded gently, watching his silhouette disappear.
He still thought his "get out of jail free" cards were endless and inexhaustible.
But little did he know, there were only two "get out of jail free" cards left.

Sixty-six forgiveness cards

He finally sat down on the sofa, pushing the bag in his hand towards me.


The packaging bag was from my favorite French pastry shop.


Before, Nolan would always bring pastries from this shop whenever he came to see me.


Of course, this shop was a century-old brand, so there were always endless queues of people every day.


Just because I mentioned wanting to eat them, he would always go queue up before dawn, even before the shop opened.


I didn't want him to go through so much trouble.


But he would just smile and tap my nose, saying,


"If you want a pastry, of course I'll go buy it myself. Even if you asked for the stars, I'd find a way to pluck them for you."


Thinking back, we still have many sweet memories.


I opened the bag, but it wasn't the pastry I had imagined.


Inside was just a dress stained with pastry and a crumpled bed sheet.


I looked at Nolan, and his face seemed a bit strange under my gaze.


"Felicity's clothes got dirty, and the bed sheet was stained with blood that's hard to wash out. She's on her period and can't use cold water, so I thought I'd bring them back and ask for your help."


As he spoke, he grew more confident, his expression becoming more assertive.


"Don't be so petty. You're both girls, you should understand. If it's not possible, just use another 'get out of jail free' card."


The words I was about to shout got stuck in my throat.


I had just had surgery and couldn't touch cold water. It was as if he had completely forgotten.


And what's this about a 'get out of jail free' card?


It's the last one, for crying out loud.


But seeing his nonchalant expression, I swallowed my words.


Nolan's clothes are all expensive custom-made suits, each requiring hand washing and ironing.


On second thought, it seems like my brain might have short-circuited.


My misguided attempt at being caring and considerate would have been better replaced by simply sending everything to the dry cleaners.


I left all the clothes in the entryway, planning to take them directly to the dry cleaners, then returned to the bedroom.


Seeing me come in, Nolan's face lit up with joy.


"That's my darling, finished so quickly! That's Felicity's favorite dress, make sure you wash it thoroughly."


I nodded briefly, preparing to apply a face mask.


While at it, I picked up the tablet from the nightstand and started watching a show.


Nolan also picked up his phone, his fingers tapping incessantly, as if messaging someone.


The flat screen suddenly lit up with a notification. I tapped on it to find Nolan's WhatsApp logging in on the tablet.


"Nolan, you're such a great shopper! It's been ages since I've had such authentic pastries."


"Yeah, but it was so crowded over there. You went to a lot of trouble."


Nolan glanced at me, his fingers typing away non-stop.


"I'm glad you like them. I'll go buy you some more next time."


"Who else would do this but my darling!"


"What about my bedsheets? They've got my period stains on them. Is it really okay to have Jolene wash them?"


"If she doesn't want to, then forget it."


Nolan's lips curled into a smile, his eyes filled with affection.


"It's no problem. I heard you need to use cold water. I couldn't bear to have you wash them yourself. She's experienced."


I paused for a moment, instinctively looking towards Nolan.


Chapter 3