The invisible wife

Trapped

At this time the ticking clock on the wall was louder because of the long silence that followed.

Mrs Hayes's face fell in disappointment. “You stood at the altar to make vows, remember? Daniel”

“I was pressured! I was pressured", he snapped. “I did not want to disrespect or disappoint this family, especially both of you. I don't want you both to see me the same way as my elder brother, I had to do what you wanted. Everything in this family has been about what you both want!”

“No Daniel no, that's not it… it's not what you think” his mother tried to convince him.

His father stood up slowly, adjusting his collar with deliberate calmness, more dangerously than anger.

“Daniel this is not about what we want, it is about taking responsibilities, being disciplined and carrying on a good legacy”.

Daniel scoffed. “No dad, this is controlling, like I'm a child that doesn't know his left to right”.

The air thickened.

Mr Hayes stepped closer to Daniel, his voice carrying more authority, everyone in the room could feel it. “Let me make this very clear, you little boy. You don’t get to walk away from commitments when you feel like. You are married and it's not a game or a joke. Hope you understand?"

Daniel stood up too, scraping the chair behind him. “Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed in the first place, maybe I shouldn’t have been forced to marry someone I never…

“And why didn't you say anything? We would have listened, why now?” His mother cut in.

“Would you?” Daniel asked in a rude tone

Watch your tone, you little man, his father's eyes darkened.

“Or what?” He shot back. “Threaten me? It's not new dad.

You will withhold my inheritance? My money?"...”

“That's it, yes… that's what I will do”. His father didn’t hesitate.

The word landed cold and sharp.

“If you don't take responsibility for your marriage, if you want to disgrace this family, what we've built and ruin the legacy of my late friend, who is your wife's father, then forget about every single thing tied to your name”.

Daniel wasn't expecting things to turn out this way, he was caught off guard not because of the threat, but because of the realness it sounded.

“Hey son, we know love is not going to happen overnight, just give it time to grow from within. Give it a chance”. His mother spoke again in a slower tone this time. But you will not disgrace this young lady and this family.

Daniel tightened his wrist in anger, flashing back briefly to the way Amara carried herself despite the distance he had placed between them. He hasn't given their love a chance to grow. Not really. Pride spoke louder.

“So… all you care about now is for me to stay in the marriage I never wanted or I will lose everything?”

“Exactly Daniel “. His father didn’t flinch.

Silence wrapped around them again, heavier than before.

This time, Daniel sat back on the chair, the fight in him dimming, he exhaled slowly.

He realized he had been caged.

“For once I wish my life was really mine”. He murmured. But no one responded.

Daniel felt the weight of his choices. Both the ones he made and the ones he never had the opportunity to resist.

As the evening folded, after everything had been said the parent left with a clouded and a crowded heart, lost in confusion and overwhelmed with emotions.

Amara stood by the bedroom window after hearing all Daniel said at the dining room, she could not join them at the dinner anymore. She wondered if this is just to punish her for coming into the Hayes family.

She couldn’t hold in anymore. The city lights flickered in the distance but they couldn't give her comfort, only a reminder of how lonely she had been in a marriage that was supposed to give her peace of mind.

The door clicked open. She didn’t turn, she knew it was Daniel. The silence has now become so heavy and unavoidable.

“Do you want to explain yourself or do you still want to act like everything is okay?” She said with a steady voice but laced with restrained emotion.

He did not want to start explaining to her now.

He hesitated before going closer, trying not to look at her directly. “I'm tired Amara, can it wait?”

She stepped closer to him, looking at him directly. Her composure slipped. “No it can't wait, we need to talk now!”

That got his attention.

“I heard what you said,” she continued, her voice trembling now despite her effort to stay calm. “About me not being your type. About this marriage being something you never wanted. About how your parents forced this on you. Am I a burden to you? Why didn't you tell me all these? Why do you keep punishing me?”

Daniel exhaled slowly, already feeling the weight of where this was going. “Amara"

“No Daniel, don't do that”, she cut in, shaking her head, “do not push this aside. Not now, not anymore”. Stepping closer to him, she raised her hand in frustration. “I am trying to understand my place in all of this. What do you really want from me, Daniel?”.

“Am I just… a responsibility to you? Am I something you have to carry because your parents forced you to?”

“That’s not what I meant,” he muttered, though even he knew how weak it sounded.

“So then tell me… explain to me what you mean, what do you mean! She shouted. I am married to a man that doesn't want me, who doesn’t see me as his type, a man that disrespect his marriage. Clearly you don't even know what to do with me. Isn't it?”

“This is not easy for me either”. Daniel said.

“Easy?” Daniel! Amara laughed so loud. “I am the one being rejected in my own marriage and you are talking about easy”

“I never wanted all of these for us, I was pushed to just like you were. I didn't ask for this either, Amara”. He said quietly.

Pushed? You and I? No… because we are not babies. But if this is what you think about me, then let's end it, Amara said immediately, Let’s put an end to this madness called marriage.

Daniel froze

For some seconds, it feels like a good idea, this is freedom, an escape, ending the constant tension.

But then he realized that's not a good suggestion as his father's voice echoed in his head, reminding him of the threat.

“No Amara pls don't do this to me. We can't be separated". He said.

"I thought this is what you wanted. You can't or you won’t?"

This time he looked at her, for the first time there was something different from defiance, conflict

“If you leave this marriage, I will lose everything I ever worked hard to achieve, my company, my position and my inheritance”. He admitted. “My parents made it clear”.

Amara stared at him in disbelief slowly giving way to something deeper, realization.

“So this is it?” she whispered. “You want to stay, not because of me, not because of us, but because of what you’ll lose?”

Daniel didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.

She stepped back from him. “This is even worse,” she murmured.

Amara! “Daniel called”.

“Don't call me”. She said softly. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Please!. Now I know exactly what I am to you. An exchange”

“Amara, you are not”.

“Yes, I am,” she responded. You're trapped. And I am the cage.

Amara turned back to the window. “You have to know this is not a marriage until you decide what you want”.

Daniel couldn't move, unable to respond, just staring at her.

That night Daniel couldn't sleep, Amara words kept playing in his head all over again.