Unbroken by Secrets

Chapter seven- Shattered Trust

Six months had passed, yet the approval for the consummation of their marriage was nowhere in sight. Xavier felt the weight of the delay with increasing frustration. His patience had worn thin, and his irritation grew as each day passed. Tonight, however, something had snapped within him. It wasn’t just the hunger for physical intimacy that gnawed at him—it was the emotional distance Skylar had erected between them, a wall as tangible as the pillows she habitually placed in the middle of their bed every night.

That particular evening, his adrenaline was higher than usual, his resolve hardened. Xavier stormed into the bedroom to find Skylar already dressed for sleep, a satin pajama set hugging her slender figure. The bed was once again divided by a fort of pillows, and he’d had enough.

“What is the meaning of this?” His voice was laced with fury as he hurled the pillows to the floor.

Skylar’s eyes snapped open, and she sat up, already on guard. “The meaning of what?” she retorted, her tone icy and ready for battle.

“Why are you being so heartless and unreasonable?” Xavier’s hands balled into fists at his sides. “I’m your husband, Skylar. We shouldn’t be living like strangers under the same roof.”

Skylar sighed, leaning back against the headboard, her fingers playing absentmindedly with the hem of her sleeve. “You are my husband. I accept that, and I respect you. What more do you want from me?”

Xavier’s jaw clenched. He walked to the foot of the bed, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. “Why are you depriving me of my rights as your husband? Why can’t you just tell me what’s going on? Maybe we can work through it. Maybe we can fix whatever this is.”

She stared at him blankly, her voice eerily calm. “There’s nothing wrong, Xavier. Nothing to fix. Everything is fine—it’s just business.”

“Business?” Xavier stopped pacing and looked at her incredulously. “What does that even mean? What business is more important than our marriage?”

“I recently signed a contract,” she replied, her voice matter-of-fact. “If I get pregnant, the deal is off.”

He blinked, as though waiting for her to retract the statement, to laugh and say she was joking. When she didn’t, his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “You signed a contract knowing you’re a married woman with obligations? Knowing we’ve talked about starting a family?”

“Marriage or no marriage, there’s a solution for everything. Don’t you think?”

“I don’t understand.” His voice was tight with frustration.

“It’s simple,” Skylar continued, shrugging. “I know you want children, but I’m not ready. I love you, Xavier, but I also love my career. Technology has made things easier for couples like us. If you want to consummate our marriage, we’ll have to use protection.”

Xavier’s brow furrowed. “By protection, you mean condoms?”

“Exactly,” she nodded, unflinching. “Until I’m ready to have a baby, this is how it’s going to be.”

Xavier let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair. “You’re asking me to make love to my wife with protection. You make it sound so... clinical.”

“Oh, please, don’t make this dramatic.” Skylar reached out, her hand lightly brushing his arm. “It’s only for a while. When I’m ready, we’ll go back to normal.”

He stared at her, the disbelief evident in his eyes. “I can’t believe this.”

“Well, believe it,” she said firmly. “And if you don’t want to use protection, we can wait. It’s your choice, but I know you won’t wait that long.”

Xavier shook his head, his voice a low growl. “You’re punishing me, Skylar.”

“I’m not,” she said, her tone soft but unyielding. “I’m just trying to balance things. We both have dreams, but right now, my career is just as important as this marriage.”

Xavier took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Fine. I don’t have any protection.”

Skylar smiled faintly, as though she had anticipated this. “I bought some. They’re in the drawer.”

Xavier’s mouth fell open. “You bought condoms?”

“Don’t look at me like that,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “I’m not cheating on you. I bought them earlier today.”

He hesitated for a moment, his pride warring with his desire. But eventually, he relented, walking to the drawer and retrieving the box she had stashed away. That night, both of them got what they wanted, but it came with a tension that lingered long after the lights went out.

---

Xavier sat in the living room, engrossed in a file from work. His mind was still swirling with the events of the previous months, but he forced himself to focus. That is, until Skylar stormed into the room, her expression livid.

“Xavier, what have you done?” she demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut through his concentration.

He barely looked up. “What now?”

“Don’t ‘what now’ me. You know exactly what I’m talking about,” she snapped, snatching the file from his hands and throwing it to the floor.

“Skylar, if you have something to say, say it,” Xavier said, leaning back in his chair. “You walk in here, no greeting, no respect, and now you’re throwing accusations around? Really?”

“Don’t turn this on me. What did you tell my manager?” Her voice cracked with barely-contained fury. “Because of whatever you said, I lost that contract.”

Xavier’s eyes finally met hers, his gaze hard. “I didn’t lie. You’re pregnant.”

Skylar’s face drained of color. “Pregnant? How could I be pregnant when we’ve been using protection?”

He handed her an envelope, his expression unreadable. “The doctor’s report says otherwise.”

Her hands trembled as she tore open the envelope. As her eyes scanned the contents, the blood drained from her face. “No, this can’t be... I can’t be pregnant.”

“You are,” Xavier said, his voice devoid of sympathy. “I’m sorry, Skylar, but I stopped using protection.”

Her head shot up, her eyes wide with betrayal. “You what?”

“You left me no choice,” he said coldly. “I’m not proud of it, but I didn’t want to wait any longer. Now, you’ll have to deal with it. And don’t even think about hurting the baby. From now on, no late nights, no drinking, no clubbing. You’ll follow my rules.”

Skylar’s lips trembled. “Xavier, you can’t do this.”

“I already have,” he replied with finality. “And as long as you’re carrying my child, you’ll abide by my rules.”

Skylar sank onto the couch, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You’re turning me into a prisoner in my own home.”

“No,” Xavier said, “I’m protecting our family. You’re stubborn, Skylar, but I won’t let you jeopardize our child’s health.”

---

Later that night, Xavier entered the living room carrying a tray of food. He found Skylar sitting in the same spot, her tear-streaked face buried in her hands. He set the tray down and knelt beside her.

“I made dinner. I thought you might be hungry.”

Skylar didn’t look up. “I’m not hungry, Xavier. You’ve taken everything from me, and now you want me to eat?”

“A short break won’t kill you, Skylar,” Xavier said, his tone softening. “Once the baby’s here, you can go back to work.”

Skylar wiped her eyes, her voice hollow. “You don’t understand. My career is everything to me. You’ve taken that away.”

“You still have everything,” Xavier insisted. “You have me, and soon, we’ll have a child. A nine-month break isn’t the end of the world.”

She turned away from him, her heart heavy with bitterness. “I’m not hungry. Take your food away.”

“Don’t starve the baby, please,” he murmured, but she didn’t respond. With a sigh, he rose to his feet and retreated to their bedroom, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

---

The following morning, Xavier returned from his morning jog to find Skylar dressed and ready to leave. She stood by the front door, car keys in hand, her jaw set in defiance.

“Where are you going?” he asked, his tone cautious.

“I’m going out,” she replied curtly.

“I told you not to leave the house.”

“I’m your wife, not your prisoner,” Skylar shot back, her eyes blazing.

Xavier let out a bitter laugh. “Go ahead, but you’ll see what happens when you try to come back.”

Minutes later, Skylar stormed back into the house, her face flushed with fury. “Who are those men outside? What are they doing?”

Xavier smirked. “I knew you’d try to leave, so I hired guards to make sure you stay put.”

Skylar’s eyes widened. “You’re insane! Guards? Really?”

“Call it whatever you like,” he shrugged. “I have a meeting. Behave yourself while I’m gone.”

---

That evening, Xavier returned home to find Skylar curled up on the couch, her face stained with dried tears. She looked utterly defeated, but Xavier didn’t gloat. Instead, he quietly set his briefcase down, collected the remnants of her half-eaten banana from the table, and gently roused her from sleep.

“Skylar,” he whispered, kneeling beside her, his hand lightly shaking her shoulder. “Wake up.”

She stirred, slowly opening her eyes, and when she saw him, her expression was a mixture of sorrow and anger. “Good evening,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, sitting beside her, his voice gentle.

“The same as I was when you left this morning,” she replied, her tone flat. “Trapped. Angry. Betrayed.”

Xavier exhaled softly, looking away for a moment before turning back to her. “I know this is hard. I do. But you have to understand, I’m doing this for our family—for our future.”

Skylar’s gaze hardened. “You’re not doing this for us. You’re doing this for yourself. For your control over me.”

Xavier frowned but didn’t respond immediately. He knew there was truth in her words, but admitting it wasn’t something he was ready for. “Look,” he began, “I brought someone here to help you while you’re going through this.”

As if on cue, the front door creaked open, and a young girl hesitantly stepped into the living room. She was no more than seventeen, with soft, wide eyes and a timid demeanor. She clutched a small, worn bag to her chest, her nervous gaze darting between Skylar and Xavier.

Skylar blinked, her confusion deepening. “Who is this?” she asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and alarm.

“This is Erica,” Xavier said, standing up and gesturing toward the girl. “She’s going to stay with us for a while.”

Skylar’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Stay with us? For what? We don’t need help, Xavier. I don’t need help.”

“She’s not just help,” Xavier clarified. “She’s an orphan, Skylar. She has nowhere else to go. I thought you could use some company, someone to assist you while you’re pregnant.”

Skylar’s mouth fell open, her voice trembling with indignation. “You brought a stranger into our home without asking me?”

“She’s not a stranger. She’s family now,” Xavier replied, his tone firm. “Please, give her a chance. She could be like the sister you never had.”

Skylar scoffed, shaking her head. “I don’t need a sister. I don’t need anyone. What I need is for you to stop treating me like I’m incapable of making my own decisions.”

“You’re not incapable,” Xavier said gently, but Skylar could hear the patronizing undertone, and it made her blood boil.

“I want her gone,” Skylar said, her voice low but filled with conviction. “This is my home too. You don’t get to make decisions like this without me.”

Xavier sighed, frustration flickering in his eyes. “She’s staying, Skylar. End of discussion.”

Skylar stood up abruptly, her heart pounding with rage. “You’re unbelievable. You’ve taken away my freedom, my career, and now you’re bringing in people to keep me on a tighter leash?”

“It’s not like that,” Xavier insisted, but his words fell on deaf ears. Skylar stormed past him, her breath coming in short, angry bursts.

“Skylar—” Xavier called after her, but she was already halfway up the stairs, her retreat punctuated by the slam of their bedroom door.

---

The next morning, Skylar woke up with a tight knot in her stomach. She hadn’t slept well—tossing and turning all night, her mind racing with thoughts of everything she had lost. Her career. Her autonomy. Her sense of self.

As she trudged downstairs, she found Erica quietly tidying up the living room, her small frame moving delicately as if she were afraid of breaking something. Skylar’s eyes narrowed, resentment simmering just beneath the surface. It wasn’t the girl’s fault—Skylar knew that—but Erica’s mere presence was a reminder of how little control she had over her own life now.

“I don’t need you to clean,” Skylar said sharply, her voice startling Erica. “I can take care of my own house.”

Erica froze, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched a pillow. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I just wanted to help.”

“I don’t need your help,” Skylar repeated, her tone more forceful. She knew she was being harsh, but she didn’t care. “Go upstairs. I want to be alone.”

Erica nodded quickly and scurried away, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. Skylar sank into the couch, burying her face in her hands. She had never felt so powerless, so trapped. Even her anger felt futile, bouncing off the walls of her confinement like a bird trapped in a cage.

---

That evening, Xavier came home to find Skylar sitting in the dining room, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Dinner was laid out on the table, untouched, the air between them thick with unspoken tension.

“Skylar,” Xavier began, his voice weary. “We need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she replied coldly, not even looking at him.

Xavier sighed and pulled out a chair, sitting down across from her. “I know you’re angry—”

“Angry?” Skylar snapped, finally meeting his gaze with fiery eyes. “I’m furious, Xavier. You’ve made decisions for me, about my body, my life, and now you’ve brought a child into our home without even consulting me. You’ve taken everything from me.”

“I haven’t taken anything from you,” Xavier said, his voice strained with frustration. “I’m trying to give you a family, Skylar. I’m trying to protect you.”

“Protect me?” Skylar’s voice rose in disbelief. “From what? My own life? My career? You’re not protecting me, Xavier. You’re controlling me.”

“I’m controlling the situation for the sake of our child,” Xavier shot back, his voice rising. “You need to stop being so selfish and think about the future.”

Skylar stood abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. “You know what, Xavier? You keep talking about the future, but what about my future? You want me to give up everything I’ve worked for, everything I love, for a child I didn’t even want yet.”

Xavier’s face hardened. “That child is a part of you, a part of us. Whether you like it or not, Skylar, you’re going to be a mother, and you’re going to have to make sacrifices.”

Skylar’s chest heaved with emotion as she struggled to keep her voice steady. “And what about you, Xavier? What sacrifices are you making?”

Xavier’s gaze flickered, but he didn’t respond. The silence between them was deafening.

“Exactly,” Skylar whispered, her voice breaking. “You’ve given up nothing. You’ve taken everything from me, and now you expect me to just accept it.”

With that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Xavier alone at the table, staring at the untouched plates of food that now seemed like a bitter metaphor for everything that had gone wrong between them.

---

As the house lay quiet, Skylar stood by the bedroom window, staring out into the dark night. The weight of her situation pressed down on her like a suffocating blanket, and for the first time in months, she felt truly alone.

Xavier lay in bed, watching her from the shadows. He wanted to say something, anything, to bridge the widening chasm between them, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he closed his eyes, his heart heavy with the realization that no matter how much he tried to control, he was losing her.

And somewhere deep inside, he wondered if he had already lost her completely.