It was already past eight. Thursday. Yet Tyrone hadn’t gone to work.
She figured he must have come home late last night after looking after Zera.
As she set her phone down, Aella noticed something new on her left wrist-a bracelet.
It looked familiar. Then she remembered, it was the same piece she had seen at a charity auction just last week.
Startled, she reached to unclasp it.
But before she could, Tyrone wrapped his arms around her from behind, stopping her.
Aella struggled. His hold only tightened.
Her back pressed against his chest. A thin layer of their pajamas separated their skin, but the warmth between them was real.
Tyrone held her hands and admired the bracelet on her wrist.
His deep, husky morning voice sounded lazy and magnetic. “I bought this the night you tried to end your life,” he said. “I went to that auction. This bracelet is one of a kind-there’s no other like it in the world.”
Aella turned her head to look at him.
So that night, he wasn’t meeting Zera and her son. He had gone to buy this bracelet for her.
Their eyes met. Tyrone lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips. The touch jolted Aella awake. She pushed him away immediately.
None of this changed the truth. He was already back with his first love. And that woman had given him a son.
Aella slipped into the bathroom to wash up. Tyrone followed.
At the double sink, her toothbrush was plain white. His was green.
Her cup was disposable. His was an old coffee mug he usually kept in his study.
There were no matching towels, only disposable face wipes.
Tyrone glanced down. His slippers were the spare gray ones kept for guests. Aella wore her pair, bright yellow cartoon ones she had bought herself.
He stared into the mirror, at their reflection.
Ever since the night Aella had smashed everything in the house, their marriage had been reduced to this-two mismatched toothbrushes, a coffee mug and a throwaway cup, a pair of guest slippers and silly cartoon ones.
Two words summed it all up: make do.
Tyrone finished brushing his teeth and washing his face. He handed Aella a clean towel. “I’m not going to the office today,” he said. “I’ll go with you to the supermarket to pick up some supplies.”
Aella pulled out a face wipe for herself and turned away. “I don’t need anything. If you do, buy it yourself.”
She only took two steps before Tyrone grabbed her by the waist.
In one swift move, he lifted her onto the bathroom counter.
He stood between her knees, blocking her from moving away.
Looking straight into her eyes, Tyrone asked quietly, “Look at us. Do we even seem like a married couple anymore?”
Aella met his intense gaze without flinching. “Isn’t this what you wanted?” she said coldly. “A wife at home keeping up appearances, and your little adventures outside?”
Right then, Tyrone’s phone buzzed on the counter.
He glanced at it, turned off the screen, and placed it face down again.
Aella sneered coldly, “Don’t worry. I’ll never look at your phone ever again.”
Tyrone stared at her empty, numb expression. Slowly, he pulled her into his arms.
“Aella,” he said softly, “can we stop doing this to each other?”
She closed her eyes to hide the hurt inside. Her voice was steady but heavy. “You’re right. This isn’t how a marriage should be.”
If only she hadn’t loved him so much back then. If only she hadn’t insisted on marrying him against all reason. Maybe she wouldn’t be in so much pain now.
Tyrone loosened his hold and brushed his fingers across her cheek.
She opened her eyes, meeting his gaze again.
“Aella,” Tyrone said, his voice low and steady. “If I really cheated, I’d ask you to leave. I haven’t explained myself because there’s nothing to explain.”
Aella gave a cold smile. “You just haven’t done it yet. You’re scared I’ll make a scene and destroy your perfect image.”
Tyrone leaned in until their foreheads touched. “If I ever wanted to cheat,” he said calmly, “I’d have the ability to clean up the mess. I never put myself in a losing position. You know that.”
Aella looked down.
He wasn’t wrong. Tyrone always planned three steps ahead, never acting without a backup plan.
Tyrone loosened his hold slightly, then looked down at her. “As long as you trust me,” he said softly, “I promise our marriage will never fall apart.”
Aella paused for a moment before replying, “You don’t deserve my trust.”
The air around them froze.
She pushed against him, her voice sharp. “If you have nothing else to say, let me go.”
But Tyrone didn’t move. He gripped her chin and pressed his lips to hers.
Aella struggled, clutching his shirt and shoulders, but his strong body held her tight. His kiss grew forceful, desperate.
Their breaths mingled. His was heavy and uneven.
When Aella felt his body tense against hers, panic shot through her. She bit his lower lip hard.
The metallic taste of blood filled both their mouths. Tyrone finally loosened his hold, his breath rough and shallow.
His chest rose and fell as he wiped the tears from the corner of Aella’s eyes. He said quietly, “How long has it been since we … were together?”
Her gaze dropped to the blood on Tyrone’s lower lip. “Isn’t Zera enough for you?” she asked bitterly.
The heat in his eyes hadn’t fully faded, but he forced himself to calm down. He pulled her nightgown strap back onto her shoulder, lifted her off the sink, and set her down.
“I need a shower,” he muttered, then turned and disappeared into the bathroom.
Aella ordered takeout for herself. She changed her clothes and went downstairs.
They had been married for three years. Tyrone had always had a strong desire for intimacy.
Whenever he came home from business trips or she finished her cycle, he wouldn’t stop until she was in tears, begging him to let up.
But since Zera and her son returned, Tyrone hadn’t been home for more than a month.
Whenever he did come back, it was always followed by fights or long silences.
She knew better than anyone how often he needed that kind of intimacy.
Two months had passed, and he hadn’t touched her. It could only mean he was getting satisfaction from Zera.
The food delivery arrived. Aella sat alone in the dining room, eating breakfast from a takeout box.
Tyrone walked in, dressed neatly for work. His eyes fell on the takeout box in front of her. “Mom called,” he said flatly. “She wants us at the estate tonight.”
Aella had never been much of a cook.
But over the years, she’d managed to learn a few simple meals.
Every time she cooked, she’d bring the dish straight to him, proud, waiting for him to taste it-even if she had to coax him into taking a bite.
But now, even though it was just the two of them at home, she ordered only for herself.
When Tyrone went upstairs to take a phone call, Aella quietly left the house.
She went back to visit her parents.
That evening, Tyrone came to pick her up. He even brought vitamins and supplements for her parents.
Aella sat in the passenger seat with her eyes closed, pretending to rest. She didn’t say a word. He didn’t even try to talk to her either.
His eyes stayed glued to his phone screen the whole time, as if he were messaging someone.
The car rolled slowly through the gates of the estate. Aella followed Tyrone silently into the living room.
Edwin was there, along with Tyrone’s parents and Raine.
When Raine saw Aella, she quickly stood up and whispered a warning to both of them. “Grandpa’s mad. Be careful.”
Aella heard Tyrone give a short, cold snort through his nose. She couldn’t help but look up at him.
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