The familiar itch returned to my hands, and I stood up, heading for the bedroom to escape the scent. But Adrian blocked my way. "Emily, is this how you behave? All my high school friends were at dinner, and you just left without saying a word. Where's your sense of decency? How do you expect me to save face?"

Before, I would have bent backward for Adrian, always putting his reputation first. Even when, during a drinking game, he joked, "Emily never gets drunk. With her here, I'm guaranteed to win."

I'd drink until I was on the verge of throwing up so that he wouldn't lose.

But not tonight.

I didn't even bother to attend the post-dinner activities, much less make excuses to his friends when I left.

When Adrian confronted me, I casually brushed him off. "I wasn't feeling well."

Realizing I might be on my period, his face softened lightly as he put his things down.

"I'll make you some tea," he said before heading to the kitchen.

He put a clay pot on the stove and then went to the study room. By the time the water had boiled dry and the smell of burning filled the kitchen, he still hadn't returned.

I turned off the stove just as Adrian emerged from the study and started cursing at me. "Emily, are you insane? How do you even manage to burn water? Might as well burn that stupid brain while you're at it!"

He looked down at the scattered soot on the stove's surface, and his face twisted in disgust. "Clean it up. That kind of filth breeds bacteria! Fucking hell, it makes me sick!"

I didn't even flinch. I stopped midway, brushed past him, and half-heartedly responded, "We're out of supplies. Call the cleaning service."

For ten years, I scrubbed that stove spotless.

But this time?

I didn't even bother to lift a damn finger.

Perhaps worried that the bacteria from the kitchen would somehow spread to every corner of the house, Adrian decided not to stay home that night. Before, Adrian showed no interest in household matters as long as I cared for them. But this time was different.

To my surprise, he actually called a cleaning service just to deal with the kitchen and even sent me a message on WhatsApp:

'Emily, if you're not feeling well, just take a rest. I've hired cleaners to take care of it.'