Only Two Reconciliation Coupons Left

Jillian planted 9,999 roses herself to propose to me.

When the 9,999th rose finally bloomed, I was moved.

On our first day of marriage, I prepared 99 reconciliation coupons.

We agreed: whenever she made me angry, she could use one coupon to make amends.

Over seven years of marriage, every time she upset me over childhood friend matters, she would hand me a coupon.

It wasn’t until the 97th card that Jillian noticed something had changed.

I stopped nagging her to be careful or acting like I needed her.

I just grabbed her arm when she left me for her childhood friend again and asked,

“If you go to him, can I use a card to cancel that decision?”

Jillian hesitated for a moment, then looked at me with a helpless sigh.

“Go ahead and use it. There’s still plenty left anyway.”

I nodded quietly, watching her walk away.

She still thought those cards were infinite, that she could keep using them forever.

But she had no idea, there are only two remained.

Today was the gala for our company’s biggest client.

It was also exactly one week after my appendectomy.

Jillian’s childhood friend Jason spilled red wine on the client’s CEO.

Jillian’s first concern was checking if Jason was okay.

Then she turned to me.

“Liam, go apologize to Mr. Johnson.”

I stared at her in shock.

The CEO was dabbing at his suit, clearly furious.

“So your company likes dodging responsibility, huh? The one who should apologize is hiding.”

Jason’s eyes watered as he leaned on Jillian’s shoulder, acting like he was the one who’d been wronged.

Jillian put her hand on his shoulder and fixed me with a serious look.

“Why aren’t you apologizing? What are you standing there for?”

“Go toast with Mr. Johnson. We can’t let this partnership fall through, no matter what!”

She forgot I was still recovering from surgery and strictly forbidden from drinking alcohol.

Or maybe she just didn’t care about my health at all.

Jason smirked at me with provocation in his eyes.

He’d known all along Jillian would push me to take the fall.

He also knew Jillian would always protect him, never letting him face the consequences.

I wasn’t about to take the blame for his mistake, but Jillian suddenly leaned in and whispered:

“One Get Out of Jail Free card.”

To marry me, she’d planted those 9,999 roses herself. Each one was supposed to prove her devotion.

When the last rose bloomed, I said yes at our engagement party surrounded by family and friends.

That’s when she promised: “Liam, you’re the love of my life! If I ever betray you, I swear…”

I covered her mouth before she could finish.

Watching her make that vow among the flowers, I was completely captivated.

Wanting to match her gesture, I had a friend design 99 Get Out of Jail Free cards.

I told her, “When these run out, I’m gone for good!”

In the early years of our marriage, Jillian guarded those cards like they were gold, terrified I’d cash one in during an argument.

But after her childhood friend moved back from overseas, she burned through 97 of them in just one year.

This was the 97th.

I bent slightly, wincing from the pain in my abdomen as I addressed the CEO.

“Mr. Johnson, I sincerely apologize for what happened.”

The CEO glanced at me, shaking his head with a sigh—no real hard feelings.

As I bowed, I caught Jillian straightening Jason’s collar.

“Be more careful next time. What if you’d hit a table corner and gotten hurt?”

“Got it, Jill. You always look out for me.”

“Always?”

Pain spread from my surgical incision, draining the color from my face.

Just a little longer.

She had two chances left.