"Do you ever feel like a ghost in your own home?"
Rehema's question lingered in the air like smoke, thick and suffocating. She stared at Ali, who was sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone. He didn't look up, didn't acknowledge her presence.
The baby monitor crackled softly on the table between them, a faint reminder of their shared responsibility. Yet, in moments like this, Rehema felt like she was carrying the weight of everything alone.
"Ali," she said again, louder this time.
He sighed heavily, setting his phone down. "What now, Rehema?"
Her chest tightened. The way he said her name, like it was an inconvenience, cut her deeper than she wanted to admit. "We need to talk."
---
A One-Sided Conversation
Ali leaned back, arms crossed. "What is there to talk about? You've already said everything there is to say."
"I'm trying," Rehema said, her voice trembling. "I'm trying to fix this, but I can't do it alone. Do you even care anymore?"
He scoffed, his eyes narrowing. "Care? Do you know how exhausting it is to come home to this every day? The nagging, the accusations? You think I don't have my own problems?"
She blinked back tears, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not trying to fight, Ali. I just want us to find a way back to each other."
Ali shook his head, a bitter smile on his lips. "Maybe the problem is, there's no 'back.' Maybe we've always been like this, and you're just now realizing it."
---
A Mother's Influence
Before Rehema could respond, the door creaked open, and Ali's mother stepped inside. Her sharp gaze immediately fell on Rehema, as if she'd walked into the middle of a war zone.
"What's all this noise?" she demanded, her tone laced with disdain. "Ali just got home from a long day, and you're already nagging him? Give the man some peace!"
Rehema's lips parted in disbelief. "I wasn't nagging—"
"Enough," Ali's mother cut her off, walking to her son and placing a hand on his shoulder. "You need to stop stressing him out. No wonder he's never home."
Rehema felt the words like a slap. "I'm the one who's stressed, Mama. I'm the one who's here all day, taking care of everything while Ali—"
"While Ali works to provide for you?" his mother interrupted, her voice rising. "You should be grateful, Rehema. Do you know how many women would kill to have a husband like him?"
---
The Knife Twists
Ali smirked, leaning back as if enjoying the show. "Listen to her, Rehema. Maybe you'll learn something."
Rehema turned to him, her hands trembling. "Is that what you want? For me to just sit here, silent and grateful, while you walk all over me?"
His mother clicked her tongue. "You're too sensitive, girl. That's your problem. A good wife knows her place. And if you can't handle that, maybe Ali should find someone who can."
Rehema's heart sank, her mind racing. The implication was clear, and it wasn't the first time she'd heard it.
---
An Unspoken Decision
That night, Rehema lay awake in bed, her back to Ali. He had finally come to bed after hours of scrolling through his phone, but the distance between them felt insurmountable.
Her thoughts swirled like a storm, her aunt's words echoing in her mind: "You are stronger than this pain. Don't let them break you."
She reached for her phone, her fingers hovering over the screen. She wanted to call Aunt Laila, to tell her everything. But something held her back. Maybe it was pride, or maybe it was the growing realization that no one could save her but herself.
---
The Next Morning
Ali was already gone when she woke up, the faint smell of his cologne lingering in the air. She found a note on the kitchen counter, scrawled in his messy handwriting: "Gone out. Don't wait up."
Rehema crumpled the paper in her hand, tears blurring her vision. She didn't know how much longer she could live like this, caught in a cycle of hope and heartbreak.
But as she looked at the baby monitor, hearing her son's soft coos, a flicker of determination ignited in her chest. She wasn't just living for herself anymore.
---
Life Lesson:
"Sometimes, the strongest choice is to stop waiting for someone to save you and start saving yourself."