The invisible wife

The divorce

“Uh, yes, I think”, he stammered, he couldn’t say anything, he tried to remember. He blinked, staring for a while. “I think you guys know what to do. I agree with anything you conclusion on”.

He could see that everyone's eyes were literally on him, weighing and measuring his fluctuating confidence. Daniel was only able to think right when his assistant pulled him back into the conversation and carefully dissected his responses. As the meetings were still on, Daniel could feel that he was carrying too much on his shoulders, his frustrations, his anxiety, portrayed an image of stoicism, the weight of his parents expectations not in his business but in marriage. He knows something is going to happen that day, something he's not prepared for.

Day by day, Daniel couldn't pretend like everything was fine, everyone noticed it at the office. Amara did not, because of the distance between them.

The weekend…

Later in the evening, the dining was set.

Daniel had hope for an evening he could take advantage of. His mind was clouded, waiting for his parents to arrive.

An hour later, his parents arrived, the atmosphere was filled with tension, it felt so tangible.

As Mr and Mrs Hayes entered, they radiated an expression of excitement and pride but yet Daniel felt unease.

He navigated the set of conventional rules, trying to balance the demands of his parents' love with the frustration towards his own personal desires and choices.

The dinner began with a lot of joy, excitement and love, but Daniel and Amara couldn't feel it that much. Daniel could feel the cogs turning in his mom's mind whenever she looked at Amara.

“Amara, have you been eating well?” Mrs Hayes asked, you look so small she continued.

Daniel, have you been making her work too much?

When was the last time you went on a vacation?

“Mom, we are good,” Daniel responded.

She smiled in disagreement.

“So, Daniel, how is your business going?” Mr Hayes asked, with his authoritative tone, deep and resonant voice, Daniel couldn't shake it off easily.

“Going well... as always, dad”. You know…

"Are you still going to expand the partnership with the Arianna company?"

Daniel could feel his body shaking, “yes, my team and I are working on it, but it will take a little longer than usual because it's bigger project".

"That's good" Mr Heyes nodded in agreement.

Interspersed with meals, their conversation continued. All Daniel and Amara could think of is the distance between them and the ever-growing chasm. Amara played her part as the daughter-in-law impeccably, but the silence was so loud, making Daniel recognize a truth he was trying to escape from.

The parents continued to express the expectations for grandchildren and the future gatherings of the family, the evening wore on very fast. This too much expectation made Daniel feel the resentment within him bubbling toward a breaking point.

Amara cleared a few things off the table, while she was away, Daniel finally couldn’t remain quiet.

“Can we talk about something more important?” Like how Amara and I are doing?

“I was going to ask that too,” Mrs Hayes responded.

“Son, we didn’t mean to intrude in your company business…” His father began, clearing his throat. Everywhere became quiet, only utensils clinking against plates.

His mother looked up at him with trepidation.

I know all you ever wanted from me is to be happy. But you don't know I'm not, do you?

I'm drowning in expectations and that's not good for anyone in this family!

His parents look at each other in confusion.

Amara hears everything her husband is saying from where she is standing, but remains silent, she is trapped beneath the weight of the moment.

Daniel knew the tension was high, he felt it coiling around him. The realization of how deep the division has grown. He stared at the dinner before him, the unspoken truths loomed larger.

“Tell us what the problem is, we are ready to listen”, Mrs Hayes said.

The room silenced as emotions expanded beyond their control. The weight of expectations became palpable, his parents' dreams, Amara's invisible presence, and his aching desire for freedom held them all captive in a single moment.

This tumult would resonate through the otherwise calm air, stirring the echoes of societal demands that had shaped his life and subsequently, his marriage. Daniel's heart thudded in his chest, the words he craved to express tinged with ambiguity, losing themselves beneath the canopy of unresolved frustrations.

And just like that, Daniel recognized the turning point sitting precariously at the intersection of duty and despair. Tonight, the mask would slip, and he would have to finally confront the truth that had lingered too long in the shadows.

As the echoes of his outburst lingered in the air, Daniel realized that this weighing burden had begun to fracture their fragile arrangements, foreshadowing a tumultuous journey ahead as he fused personal desires with the inevitable expectations of life.

“I want a divorce…” He said with a shaky voice.