INDEPTH WITH TWO RIVALS

CHAPTER 8

I stared at the space across the dinner table; the silence between us was palpable. Damian's chair was pushed back, his plate untouched. This was becoming a familiar scene, one that left me feeling hollow and uncertain. We used to share laughter, stories, and dreams over meals. Now it seemed like we were just going through the motions. I had to leave for the room and go call him down to eat. When I went there, he was just sitting on the bed, and it was obvious that he was filled with thoughts. I had to go beside him and talk to him about what he was worrying about.“Good morning,” I said, my voice low, trying to draw his attention.

“What do you want?” He asked rudely.

“I'm sorry, but I'm here to check on you. You were supposed to be at the dining table, but I couldn't find you there, so I thought of coming down here to see if anything was the problem,” I said, trying to keep cool. “Okay, now that you see I'm fine, I would advise you to leave at once before I do something we both would regret,” he said.

I was unsure of what he meant because I didn't even do anything wrong now. “What do you mean?” I asked.

“Just leave me; get out of here,” he yelled. I had to leave the room at once and go down stairs. What was even wrong with him? We both were good and better together before the issue of an heir came up. I know I would have to bear him one, but he is acting like I am the cause of every difficulty and this is pissing me off. I have to go and talk to his mother about it to see her reactions. Not only that, but I actually don't even know what step to take from here. As I sat alone at the dining table, My mind raced in thoughts of what would happen to me if our marriage continued like this. Immediately I heard footsteps walking down in my direction. I looked up, and it was Damian. I had to stand up and prepare him for what he would eat. He sat down and took the food, but he couldn't even have a bit of it. “Why don't you try one bite? I made it specially for you to eat; just try one,” I said, trying to act cool.

He stared at me for a few seconds without saying anything until he wasn't pleased with the silence and had to open up to me. “Are you trying to make things cool and hide the real matter we have at hand?” He asked.

“I'm sorry, but are you referring to me?” I asked him, which made him stand up with anger. “And who else is dining with me? We are the only ones here, and it's you I'm talking to,” he yelled. “I'm sorry to provoke you, but I didn't understand the question. I am genuinely sorry,” I said.

“You are trying to make everything better when you can't even help it; tell me how you do it.” He asked.

“I'm sorry, but how do I do what?” I asked.

“How do you act up? I mean, how do you even feel when you are alone? Don't you know that you should have had even one child by now? I'm trying all possible efforts to make it real that you have a child for me, but here you are acting things up, knowing that we have a matter to treat,” he said. “I know all this, and I'm not acting ignorant. I'm also making efforts to see that I treat matters from my end, but you are not even understanding me. Besides, we are still even young couples, and can resolve things better. I mean, we still have time to make babies together; it's just a matter of time,” I said, coming closer to him.

“And that time is what no one has. We aren't growing any younger. We add up every day of our lives, and you know the world we are in. Not only that, but we should have done a check before getting married. Now I'm starting to regret why I ever met you. You lack understanding; you don't know what you do or what you say; you only talk out of words, which isn't best for this marriage. I don't even know where we both could go from here, but all I want you to know is that this marriage can end at any time,” he said.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“I don't know, you just have to follow the procedure and get ready to face anything that you see. I have a meeting to attend, and I would like this conversation to end here. I just hope you don't get lost in your shadows because your selfishness wouldn't even allow you to think straight. And one more thing, the restaurant that I gave you as a gift is no longer yours,” he said and left. I couldn't understand when things started to change in our marriage. At first, it was just small things—him working late, forgetting our anniversary, or canceling plans at the last minute. But as time went on, the distance between us grew. He became more frustrating, questioning my every move and disallowing my decisions. I felt like I was walking on eggshells, never knowing what would set him off.

The restaurant he gave me was a sanctuary, but even that wasn't enough to bring us closer together. I felt like I was losing myself in this marriage, like I was just a shadow of the woman I used to be. And now, with Damian spending days and even weeks away from home, I was left with nothing but silence.

As I shifted my chair back, the sound echoed through the empty room. I felt lost, had doubts about my marriage, and was unsure of what the future held.