Part One.
KAMILA.
I glanced up at the man sitting across from me in the dinning room. He was chewing eggs, a phone in his hand, a frown of concentration on his face.
I blinked down at my meal then looked up at his face. I cleared my throat loudly, hoping that would get his attention, but he went on typing scrolling with one hand and handling the fork with the other hand.
"Is everything okay?" I finally asked but all I got was silence from him. He was still staring at his phone screen. "Bryan?" He still didn't respond, I glared at him. "Bryan!"
He looked up sharply, and our eyes met for a second, then he relaxed. "Hi."
I chuckled dryly. Hi? That's what he's gonna say?
"You are not taking your breakfast anymore, you keep staring at your phone and you are not even responding to anything from me." I complained.
He sighed, taking a break from his phone to eat a little. "But I answered my name, yeah?"
"After I called you the second time." I let him know with a firm tone.
"Yeah, I was just...." He glanced back at his phone and more annoyance starting seeping through me. He tapped on it a few times, and continued talking. "I was just trying to fix something and....." His brows creased roughly. "I need to go."
With that he rose up quickly from his seat.
"You are leaving already?" I asked to confirm.
"Yeah." He replied fastly without looking at me as he tried to do something on his phone.
"You are leaving me alone" I murmured. "Again"
He didn't even say anything to that. Maybe he didn't hear that part.
I walked to him, stood in front of him and like something he was expecting, he waited for me to do my 'wifely things'.
I adjusted his tie, his suit jacket, handed him his briefcase and he nodded.
A nod. No peck, no thank you, no joke. And he's my husband.
He was standing in front of me and I said to him.
"Bye"
He nodded again.
"Have fun at work" I tried again, my gaze trying to check his gray eyes.
Bryan nodded again without even looking at me this time. His face was already set towards the exit door.
I smiled bitterly. Why was I even expecting him to say something, or hold me or kiss me?
Why?
I am his wife, the woman he married and all I get is a nod. A nod.
He walked towards the door, his strides quick, sharp and confident and his hand holding his briefcase firmly.
I took few steps forward, watching his hard back flex under his black formal jacket, his shoulders broad and stiff. I knew I could admire him like this all day even though he wouldn't talk to me when I needed him to.
He finally left the room. He didn't bother taking a single glance back at me.
Ladies and gentlemen, that's the kind of marriage life I'm in.
And I'm done with it.
***
Four weeks later, I was still in the marriage, but that was because I was planning something.
When my husband came back from his company, looking tired, I felt that familiar sympathy for him, running through my emotions again.
I collected his briefcase as usual and smiled a little. "I already made dinner" I announced unnecessarily because it was usual of me to make dinners for him.
Urgh! Can't believe I actually made dinner again after how he treated me this morning. It was just like every other mornings, in fact it was worse than four weeks ago. The silence and the coldness in those gray eyes were worse. Yet, I was still a good wife. And a fool, because I was about to give him another smile again but something on his white shirt caught my attention.
It was like a stain, pinkish red, and not too obvious until you squint and look closer. "What's that?" I pointed to it, around his collar. "And this?" I pointed to another one around his shirt button.
He didn't even look at it. "Nothing" he replied tiredly and started to turn to the staircase slowly.
I was supposed to follow him, but I was already breathing harshly, my whole face turning hot red. "Come back here, Bryan." I commanded and he paused.
"What?" He wanted to confirm if he heard right. If the wife who doesn't talk is suddenly commanding him.
"We need to talk."
"Maybe later. And besides if you need anything you can talk to Connor."
"You want your wife to tell your P.A about what she needs?" I asked, trying all my best not to yell. "Are you forgetting that P.A is not the same as husband?"
"I know but...."
"Did you forgot you are my husband?"
He wanted to speak but he sighed and stopped himself, like speaking at least twenty words to me in a day was a taboo. "Talk to my P.A or just take anything you need. And yes I'm your husband. Fake husband."
My head rang the loudest bell I've ever heard my whole life as he stated the last two words coldly.
Fake husband. Wow.
Of course I knew this was a marriage of convenience, a deal and even at that, I thought we would actually act like real husband and wife, at least to some extent, but look at us, we're like total strangers and it's so obvious one of us wants nothing to do with the other. He just wants to be husband on paper, and he wants the other to be a reserved wife in the house.
"I'm done with this." I announced and watched his reaction to my words and I saw that what I said didn't stop him from turning around to leave. I chuckled. "I'm done with this marriage" I said a longer sentence to make him understand what I was really talking and with the way he halted on his track, I think he got the full words.
"What are you talking about?" His voice ran deep into my mind. I think I'll actually miss that even though I rarely hear him use his voice in the house.
"Let's get divorced." I said the words out boldly with my heart beating fast.
