My Own Terms
254 Words
I didn’t sleep.
Not because of the dinner.
Not because of the words.
But because I finally understood something.
This marriage had been designed to benefit everyone…
except me.
By morning, I was calm.
Dangerously so.
Ethan noticed it immediately.
“You’re quiet,” he said as I poured coffee.
“I’m thinking.”
“That usually means trouble.”
I looked at him. “I want something.”
He straightened slightly. “What?”
“Freedom,” I said. “Within this marriage.”
His eyes narrowed. “Explain.”
“I won’t be paraded without a voice,” I continued. “No more surprises. No more board dinners I don’t understand. If I’m your wife in public, then I’m your partner in truth.”
Silence.
Then, “And if I say no?”
I met his gaze. “Then this marriage stays exactly what it started as—paper. Nothing more.”
He studied me for a long moment.
“You’ve changed,” he said.
“Yes,” I replied. “I had to.”
Finally, he nodded. “You’ll have access. Meetings. Information. And a say.”
“And respect,” I added.
“And respect,” he agreed.
Something shifted between us.
Later that day, as I stepped out for fresh air, a familiar voice stopped me.
“Ava?”
I turned.
A face from another life.
“Daniel?”
He smiled. “It’s been a long time.”
My past had just found me.
And it didn’t look accidental.
- Writer
