The air in the room hung heavy with tension as I mustered the courage to confront Dante about his distant behavior and the late nights. "Dante," I began, my voice trembling with a mixture of frustration and concern, "we need to talk about what's been happening lately."
He met my gaze with an intensity that seemed different, an unsettling shift from the warmth I once knew. Without a word, I could feel the weight of his unspoken troubles, and my heart ached for the connection we seemed to be losing.
"What's going on? Please, talk to me," I pleaded, reaching out for an explanation, for any sign that the man before me was still the Dante I loved.
But instead of words, something snapped within him. The atmosphere became charged with an unexpected burst of aggression. My frustration and pain boiled over as I confronted Dante about his distant behavior. The room became a battlefield for our emotions.
" You've been distant, avoiding me, and I can't take it anymore. What the hell is happening?"
" Elena, I've got a lot on my plate right now. You need to understand that."
" Understand? I don't even know who you are anymore. You come home late every night, you barely talk to me, and now this coldness between us. I deserve an explanation!"
At that point, I couldn't control my emotions anymore and words flowed out of my mouth without a second thought or care.
He turned to me anger evident on his face, " You don't get it, do you? I have responsibilities, duties that you can't comprehend. That are bigger than our relationship."
" Oh, spare me the excuses! We used to share everything, but now you treat me like a stranger. What happened to us, Dante? What happened to you? What about..."
Before I could finish talking, he raised his voice. It sent shivers down my spine , evoking fear in me , warning me to back down but I didn't want to give up until I got answers.
Things change, Elena! Maybe you should accept that.
" Oh, I'm sorry for expecting my husband to be present and consider our marriage bigger than anything . Silly me."
" You don't get the pressure I have been through to get me to where , you wouldn't understand considering your background....The weight on my shoulders is immense, and all you do is complain. "
" No, Dante. The man I married would have shared his burdens with me and he would have never judged me. But instead, you shut me out and resort to violence.
" You just don't understand, do you? Maybe we shouldn't be together if you can't handle who I am."
Angry and hurt, I didn't think through and just let words slip out of my mouth.
" If I knew this is who you were , then maybe we wouldn't have been together. I won't accept being treated like this. Figure out who you are, Dante, because I won't wait around for someone who doesn't want to be a part of our marriage."
In a moment of shock, his hand collided with my cheek, leaving a stinging pain that mirrored the emotional turmoil within me. He slapped me ???The room seemed to close in as I struggled to comprehend the gravity of what had just happened. Dante had never laid a hand on me before and I had never seen him this angry. I knew he would get angry during our confrontation, but not to the extent of hitting g me.
Dante's eyes, once filled with warmth, now held a coldness that sent shivers down my spine. I could feel the tears welling up, a mixture of physical pain and the heartache of watching the person I loved transform into a stranger before my eyes.
"Why, Dante? Why did you do that?" I managed to choke out, my voice betraying the hurt and confusion that consumed me.
He remained silent, the silence echoing louder than any words could. The person I once knew seemed to slip away further, leaving behind a shattered hope of returning to the way things were. The room bore witness to the fracture in our connection, and I found myself standing in the aftermath of a heartbreaking moment, unsure of how to mend the irreparable damage that had been done.
I ran to our room hoping he would come after me to apologize , but he didn't.
Sitting on the floor with tears in my eyes, the weight of the confrontation hanging heavy on my shoulders. Doubts crept into my mind, making me wonder if I was somehow the problem. Maybe I did something, unknowingly pushing him away. The uncertainty gnawed at me , fueling the need to rectify any potential mistakes.
A ray of hope settled in me, prompting me to think that doing something special for Dante might bridge the gap between us . I decided to make him a dish he always loved – a hearty Chicken Alfredo with a touch of my own twist.
Once the meal was prepared, i called for him, nervously awaiting his presence as my heart beat and pulse raced. As he entered, I mustered the courage to apologize for my behavior and the hurtful words spoken during our heated exchange.
"Erm... Dante, I want to apologize. I've been reflecting on everything, and I realize I might have overreacted. I'm sorry for questioning you and not understanding the pressures you're facing. I didn't mean to push you away," I confessed, my eyes reflecting sincerity.
Dante, with a measured expression, responded, "It's alright, Elena. Let's forget about it and move on."
Heartened by his forgiveness, I led him to the table, where the aroma of the special meal lingered. Trying to ease the tension, I got closer to him , but he abruptly got up and left the food untouched.
Usually when I made his favorite meal for him, he wouldn't even wait to wash his hands and dig in like he hadn't eaten all day. But now , he didn't even look at the food, as though I served some kind of chicken shit.
Confusion and disappointment filled the air as I wondered what more I could do to bridge the growing gap between us. The untouched meal stood as a metaphor for the unresolved issues forming issues in our relationship.
Frustrated and defeated, I retreated to our bedroom, tears streaming down my face like silent rivers of anguish. The weight of our arguments, the distance between us, pressed upon my chest, making it hard to breathe. How did we get here? What had happened to the sweet, loving Dante I knew, the one I had married?
I lay in bed, my sobs echoing in the emptiness of the room. His sudden change of behavior was a puzzle, a mystery that seemed to have no solution. Each tear that fell carried questions, doubts, and fears.
Was our love just a façade? Had he used me? Was there a hidden motive behind his actions? The times we spent together felt like a lie, and I was left questioning the authenticity of every shared laugh and whispered promise.
As I cried, the room became a canvas painted with memories. Flashbacks of our good times surfaced, each image etched with the warmth of our love. But now, in the darkness of that moment, everything felt too good to be true. I wondered if I had been blind to the cracks in our relationship or if they had appeared out of nowhere.
The bed became a sanctuary for my broken spirit, and I found solace in the quiet embrace of sleep. But even in my dreams, I couldn't escape the haunting thoughts that clouded my mind. The vulnerability of the night held me captive.
was the man I married just a mask, a disguise that concealed a different reality? The tears continued to flow, and I cried myself to sleep, hoping that the morning light would bring clarity and a resolution to the fractured fragments of our love story.
The solace of sleep finally wrapped its arms around me, offering a fleeting escape from the torment of reality. But the peaceful feeling was short-lived.
Suddenly, I felt a forceful tug at my legs, hurling me off the bed and onto the cold,hard , unforgiving floor. Disoriented , confused and nose bleeding from my face hitting the hard ground, I struggled to make sense of what was happening.
As I attempted to gather my senses, I cast my gaze around the room. Two figures loomed in the darkness, and as the dim light revealed their identities, a shockwave of disbelief coursed through me, Dante?
He was there, a familiar yet distant presence, but standing next to him was someone I never expected to see – someone I couldn't imagine being with him at 1 am.
Questions swirled in my mind like a whirlwind. Why was she with him? What were they doing together, especially at this ungodly hour?