Broken Mirrors

⏧·₊̣̇. ”

STARING AT the wooden-framed photo only makes the melancholy feeling worse. The gorgeous, bedazzled, pure dress she was so sure of. While gripping the bouquet, she practically clung to his arm. She smiles, staring at the heels that were wearing her feet out.

It seems like she can almost make out her mother’s cheerful voice, encouraging them to pose for the big day.

Everything seemed to flow smoothly after the first five months following what appeared to be the happiest day of her life. In addition to the fact that they had moved in together, Taisei had begun to build his company.

Following one fateful day, her marriage took an inevitable tumble down the hill of misfortune.

Taisei’s stress began to take a toll on their marriage and his sanity as his addiction to alcohol developed. Soon after, he had taken a liking to not arriving home. However, when he did, he discovered an addictive habit of laying his hands on his wife.

Speak of the devil.

Daina shakily sets the picture down and heads toward the front door to welcome him home. She shuffles her feet with swiftness as he gets mad when she’s not tuned to his preferred pace.

There he is. His eyebrows furrowed in outrage, with his tie lying loosely around his neck.

It appears his meeting didn’t go as he would’ve liked.

She directs her eyes to the floor and meekly speaks, attempting to frustrate him further, “Hi honey, how’d the meeting go?” A harsh blow is delivered to her cheek as she collapses onto the wooden floors beneath her.

“They didn’t want to fucking invest! And it’s all your goddamn fault! You bitch!” He screams in her face before throwing his coat at her and stomping his way to the kitchen.

She harshly bites her lip as a lone tear has already slid down her face. She knows if she doesn’t calm her tears now, she won’t be able to stop later. And that will only make it worse.

He stomps his way past her as if he’s a child throwing a ridiculous fit. He snatches the remote in his harsh grip, continuing his boring routine of watching the large television with a cold beer.

She hears the television come alive as the feedback from the game blares throughout their home. Releasing her lip from the tight hold between her teeth, another tear splatters on the floor as she silently stands up.

Trudging back to their shared room, she glances at him with disgust as he chugs down the alcoholic drink. She closes the door before settling down in front of her mirror. All she can do is silently stare at her reflection.

Weak.

It’s what she is.

It’s the truth, and she knows it.

Thinking that he would change,howfoolish. But what else is she to do but be stuck trying to hold onto the fleeting hope of at least a smidgen of love left for her in his hardened heart?

“Just smile,” she whispers to the reflection of her shattered self. The corners of her mouth tremble as they try lifting. What a weak ruse.

Just forget instead.

Try and hope he’ll change. They’ll get better, they have to.

But for now, she needs to get ready, as she is the main attraction for the night.

In the early stages of her marriage to Taisei, he had convinced her to stop working. But she became increasingly frustrated with the new lifestyle, so she relayed her frustrations to her father. So as a quick fix, he offered her a place at his club. She quickly fit in and enjoyed performing as it reminded her of the old days.

She unfurls the creaky doors of her closet to pull out a black hoodie and her glittering gown for her nightly festivities. She turns around to reach into her drawers to grab a pair of leggings. As she shimmies into the tight bottoms, she hears a ping from her phone, then another notifying sound close behind.

Dragging her hoodie down her upper half, she reaches for her cell to glimpse at her notifications.

One from her father checking in for tonight, another from her regular driver letting her know that he will be arriving soon. Who happens to be her beloved husband Taisei’s best friend.

Throughout the months of being a wedded couple, Kenji’s attitude seemed to be the missing half of her husband’s personality. Caring.

No matter where they were or who seemed to be around, he showed nothing but kindness toward the woman.

She can’t figure out if they are two peas in a pod, with deception being the best card they can play. Or if he simply has something that her husband lacked toward his wife.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the pressing of the doorbell. Taisei is the one to fetch it this time as she throws the last of her things in her bag. The boisterous laughter between the friends is a contrast to the buzzing silence that was roaming through the house not too long ago.

Daina squints her eyes over her shoulder at her covered figure before taking one slow breath and opening the door. Taisei rolls his eyes at his wife’s appearance, while Kenji greets her with a gentle grin.

“Well, bro, I’ll catch you later,” Taisei says as he shakes hands with Kenji, glancing at his wife’s figure before grumbling and moving to the couch.

Kenji furrows his naturally noir eyebrows at the snippet of mistreatment he is treated to. He shakes his head to clear his clouding thoughts as Daina taps his clothed shoulder.

“You ready?” He asks, tilting his head to the outside.

She nods as he begins to hold the door for them to head off to work.

“Bye, Taisei!” She calls out to her husband, hopeful for an endearing response, but is met with the volume increasing on the television.

Daina sighs as she trudges away from the unpleasant settling mood. Kenji’s eyes race between the two as he expects him to see her off. He brushes it off as he juggles the keys to unlock the vehicle to save them both from the nipping weather.

Daina sets her bag on her lap as she fastens her seatbelt, waiting for Kenji to inevitably drive away from the source of her saddening mood.

But instead, he chooses small talk.

“How’s your week been? Man, have I been busy! My uncle came into town last night. So I’ve been helping him get settled in all day. I’m surprised that I even got the chance to pick you up,” he sighs, leaning back against the headrest. “I’m sorry I didn’t even give you a chance to respond.”

“It’s been alright, just mainly at the house. I went grocery shopping, so that’s something. I can’t even think of anything else I’ve done,” she chuckles, fiddling with the strings attached to her hoodie. “Most I’ve done is help Taisei with his business meeting, but that didn’t even go over well.”

“Speaking of Taisei,” he rolls his head on the headrest to get a better look at his passenger, “What’s up with him?”

“I guess he’s still pretty upset, I mean, it was a big meeting,” she tries to excuse the rude behavior that was solely dished out to her. Kenji slowly blinks, processing the words she speaks about his friend’s behavior.

“Hmm, I guess, but that doesn’t give him the excuse to ignore you. The least he could give was a wave or even a dry-ass response. Plus, he’s been like that for a while,” Kenji purses his lips as he turns the keys to start the car. Daina knows what he speaks to her is the truth, so why can’t Taisei see what is so clearly the right answer? The hope she continues to hold out for her husband to grab is like a fish to some chum on a fishing rod. Yet this fish won’t budge for the dangling food.

The car rolls down the gravel hill and enters the main streetlight-lit road.

“I guess what I really want to know is, are you okay? And don’t lie, I know you, Nai.”