I always thought that in my life, with my then 28 years, I had achieved everything I always wanted. I had a nice big apartment of my own. A great job that I loved very much. And I had my beautiful wife, with whom I had been together for 5 years, three of them married. Everything was going just perfect. Probably too perfect!

Because some crazy higher asshole authority, something like God or some other sick bastard had apparently decided I had enough of the sweet lemonade now. It was time to add some really sour lemons.

But first, everything started as usual. I got up in the morning, showered, had breakfast with my wife and then drove to work. It had snowed again overnight, the snow thawed slightly and then froze, turning the roads into slippery ice rinks. So I had to drive very slowly, but then arrived at work safe and sound.

I routinely went about my work as usual and when I got off work, I went to the parking garage and was about to drive home. But, when I started the engine it suddenly smoked and even started to burn! A security guard then helped out with a fire extinguisher. That was my brand new car! I angrily called the dealership, who sent someone with a replacement car and wanted to have my car towed and inspected.

After over an hour, my replacement car finally arrived. It was a 15 year old car and the paint was not only scratched, there were also many dents in the car. Inside it smelled like rotten eggs and a mixture of beer and vomit. So I could only drive with the windows open. And that at minus 12 degrees outside!

When I arrived home, my wife was lying on the sofa and when I looked around, it didn't seem that she had gotten up from there since the morning. Everything from breakfast was still on the table. The living room table was full of empty packages of chips, chocolate and gummy bears. She didn't even get up to greet me.

I wordlessly went to take a shower and put on some comfortable clothes. In the process, I saw that she still hadn't been to the laundry to pick up my suits. And she had not washed clothes either, because they were still piled up in the bathroom. I had bought her the expensive and super modern washing machine that she really wanted. In over 8 weeks, she had only used it once. And that was just to test it.

So I packed dirty laundry into the machine and turned it on and then told my wife that I was going to the laundry, after all I needed a clean suit the next day. In response, she said it was okay and told me to go to the supermarket right away. There was nothing left to eat at home and she was hungry.

Damn, the woman had no job and was at home all day. But she hasn't done anything for weeks. I didn't understand what was wrong with her. She wasn't usually so lazy!

So I drove Stinker the car to the laundry, although it was rather slipping. From there I drove to the supermarket and went shopping. And I already suspected that the cooking will again be up to me. After all, she hasn't done that in weeks either.

Then when I went outside with my shopping and wanted to go to the car, I slipped and crashed into a guy. We both ended up on the butt of the parking lot. We then helped each other back up. And when I turned my gaze to the man's face, I was stunned. What a handsome young man! I admired his appearance.

Since I just stared at him and didn't say anything, he said, "Hey, if you want a date, all you have to do is say it. I wouldn't mind going out with someone as cute as you."

"Uh what?" I asked him confused.

"It's okay, I was just kidding. But if you feel like it, we can go out for a drink together. You look like you could be in need of it."

"Mn. Maybe so. But I'm afraid I have to get home."

"Too bad. Some other time, then, perhaps." He said. He then helped me take my shopping to the car. I waited until he had gone to his own car. Then I went to get my car keys from my jacket pocket and found a business card in it. It was from him, with his name and cell phone number. I don't know on what impulse, at the end I put it in my wallet. All I know is that I didn't throw it away. Wang Yibo... Well, maybe we'll see each other again sometime.

With meanwhile frosty minus 20 degrees and open windows in the car, I drove back home. I hung the suits away and put the shopping away, then I went into the bathroom. I emptied the washing machine, packed new laundry inside and put the clean laundry in the dryer. Then I went back into the kitchen and took care of dinner. My wife was still lying on the sofa playing with her cell phone.

After dinner, for which she had even gotten up from the sofa, she went to bed. She had been so exhausted. I, on the other hand, took care of the rest of the laundry and cleaned up the kitchen. When I finally got into bed, it was almost midnight. I hoped the next day would be better.

In the morning I went to shower, had breakfast and wanted to drive to work. But Stinker the car wouldn't start. It had been too cold outside. Many other tenants in the building were just as unlucky as I was and stood next to their cars, perplexed. It became clear to me, also on this day there would be again only lemons. I would have loved to go straight back upstairs to bed.

But I had to go to work. And so I got my bike out of the basement and made my way to work on slippery roads and bike paths. My progress was very slow. Again and again I slid back and forth and crashed three times before I finally arrived at the company.

As soon as I sat in the warm office, our boss came and told us that he had to send us all home because of the new flu pandemic. The city would go into lockdown in the next few hours. We should then continue to work from home. I didn't even know about this flu epidemic that was spreading so rapidly. I had been far too busy with other things.

Since I had no other choice, I had to get back out into the cold and slippery roads. I drove home very slowly, stopping only briefly at the supermarket to pick up a few more supplies. I pushed my bike the rest of the way until I arrived home. Once again, my wife was lazily lounging on the sofa, saying she had already heard about the lockdown in the media.

When I asked my wife why she didn't go shopping then, since we need lots of supplies, she said she was supposedly just getting ready to leave. I told her to finally get her ass up off the couch and do some housework and I'd be right off to the grocery store again. When I arrived at the apartment building, I tested whether Stinker would start again. The engine bucked for a moment, but then started.

I drove with Stinker to the next bigger supermarket and bought enough food and water for at least 2 weeks. And who did I meet again in the parking lot? Exactly, the young handsome man from the night before. We both shuffled to our cars and he waved at me. And before I knew it, my arm made itself independent and I waved back. And as I did so, I grinned like an idiot.

He called out to me, "Hey, any plans in the coming days?"

And my mouth replied on its own, "No, why?"

"Let's meet sometime."

"We have lockdown."

"I know. But that doesn't apply to me."

"And why not?"

"That' s why." He replied, putting on his police uniform. "So, you up for a date?"

"I'll call you." I called back. Oh God, I wondered all the way home, why didn't I just say no? I was married for heaven's sake after all. This was what I got married for.... so... um...never mind.

When I came into the apartment, fully loaded and sweating, I saw my wife hastily jump up from the sofa and try to pretend that she had already started cleaning the household. I was fed up with her. I took her cell phone and told her that she would not get it back until she had cleaned the apartment.

Sullenly, she then started dusting the cabinets. Always wiping nicely around all her ugly decorations in the cabinets. Nothing was lifted up. After that, it didn't even take her five minutes, she grabbed the vacuum cleaner and was at it for about two minutes in the living room. Afterwards she wanted her cell phone back.

It was clear that I did not agree. Thereupon she wanted to start a quarrel with me, but was already interrupted before she had uttered the first sentence. Because her cell phone rang. And what was on the display? "Honey calling..." Um, I wasn't calling her, so who was honey?

So to find out who this " honey " is, I accepted the call and thus learned that honey is actually called Ren and has been "back together" with my wife for 8 weeks. They were a couple two years ago and their relationship lasted about 6 months. But because he then had to go abroad for work, they lost contact and found each other again 8 weeks ago.

So around the time my wife started neglecting the household. I then explained to Ren who I was and he was completely horrified. Because he didn't even know that she was married and therefore didn't know that she was married two years ago either. Nevertheless, he insisted that he loved her very much and wanted nothing more than to be with her.

Friendly as I am, I said, "You know, if you love her so much, you can have her. I'll give her to you. She's going to pack her things now and in two hours you can pick her up here." Ren rejoiced and my wife looked at me in complete horror.

I ended the call and told my wife to pack her bags and fuck off. She went crying and packing her bags, saying over and over that she was sorry, and when the two hours were up, I was even kind and helpful enough to bring her bags down and put them in the trunk of Ren's car.

My wife clung to my arm, begging me to forgive her and let her go home. But I pushed her into the passenger seat of the car and gave her my wedding ring. As a fond farewell, I said, "Take care, the divorce papers will be coming soon." She cried and Ren drove away with her.

Hey, now just don't feel sorry for me. I said I had a beautiful wife. But there was never any talk of love!

To be honest, my relationship with her, and even marriage, was nothing more than a way of achieving a goal. Sounds stupid and mean, it probably is. But at that time I had no other choice. In return, she got a good husband who fulfilled her every wish and also gave her tenderness. Even if that was not always easy for me.

Yes admittedly, I am a selfish ass. I wanted lemonade, but I couldn't get it without biting into a sour lemon every now and then in return. Because I couldn't get lemonade without lemons.

And when I say I had no other choice, that applies to several things in my life. Like the view of this super great job, but where the aging boss with his antique views didn't want to hire singles. Or to hide who I really am from everyone. What I really am!