"Ethan, you're terrible!"
Sophia's voice shook with rage as she shouted at Ethan, her eyes tightly closed. How could he do this to her? Why couldn't she hate him? She felt so much pain and anger, but deep down, something was stopping her from feeling pure hatred. How could he crush her pride like this? He treated her as nothing more than a toy, not a wife. She had every reason to despise him, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't.
The small car felt suddenly suffocating. The air between them was heavy and tense.
Ethan's face grew darker as he looked at her. He could see the fire in her eyes, her boldness. The more she resisted, the angrier he became. His actions grew colder, more forceful. There was no trace of kindness in him now.
Sophia's clear, bright eyes, the ones that once held so much hope and life, slowly began to lose their shine. She became distant, almost blank, like a puppet whose strings were being pulled. She couldn't bring herself to fight him any longer.
Without a word, Ethan leaned in, his kiss hard and punishing, his lips harsh against hers. He bit into her pale neck, leaving a mark, as if trying to claim her in his own way. "You're right, Sophia," he muttered, his voice low and bitter. "I am terrible."
But as he looked at her face and saw the tears slipping down her cheeks, something inside him shifted. He felt tightness in his chest. His anger began to falter. His hands, which had been gripping her harshly, slowly relaxed. He took one last look at her, then wordlessly started the car and drove off.
The car stopped in front of the grand Ethan family villa half an hour later.
Sophia sat in the car, her clothes disheveled, still covering her body but in a way that felt so wrong. She didn't want his help. She wanted to get out on her own, but Ethan wasn't going to let that happen. Without asking, he picked her up and carried her inside, his grip firm, ignoring her silent struggles.
He carried her up the stairs and into their bedroom. When they reached it, he set her down, but she didn't want to face him. Without saying a word, she turned away from him, walked to the closet, and began to search for something to wear.
As her hands skimmed the shelves, they brushed against a familiar set of clothes. Her fingers froze. She recognized the outfit. It was the one she and Ethan had worn for their wedding photos a year ago
The sight of it made her heart ache. It was as if time had frozen. Her wedding anniversary was only a day or two away. The memory hit her hard, like a sudden blow. Hadn't Ethan come home early the night before, just for her? For the first time in forever, he had even prepared a candlelit dinner. She had forgotten all about it.
The guilt flooded her, and her fingers lingered on the fabric. She wanted to turn around and apologize to him, to tell him how sorry she was. But the words got stuck in her throat. How could she apologize? After everything that had happened, did she even owe him an apology?
The confusion in her heart grew. On one hand, she was angry at him. How could he treat her like that? But on the other hand, she couldn't ignore the pain of seeing him look at her with such coldness. She wanted to scream at him, but at the same time, a part of her wanted to reach out to him and make things right.
She struggled with her emotions for a long time. Finally, after what felt like hours, she gathered the courage to turn around and speak to him. But when she looked up, the room was empty. Ethan was gone.
Sophia let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders dropping as if a heavy weight had been lifted. But at the same time, an uncomfortable feeling stirred inside her. Maybe his absence was for the best. It gave her some time to clear her mind, to think through everything. She didn't know how she could face him, or even what to say.
Her emotions were a whirlwind, and she needed some space to sort through them. But she couldn't ignore the feeling that something was missing. Was she truly better off without him here? Or was she just scared to face the truth?
Sophia stood there for a while, her thoughts racing. She couldn't deny the pain she felt. There was something in her heart that still longed for the person Ethan had been before everything fell apart. Hadn't he once been the man who promised to love her forever?
Wasn't he the man who had once looked at her with warmth in his eyes, the man who had held her close and made her feel safe? But now, that man seemed gone, replaced by someone she barely recognized. Someone who could hurt her so deeply.
As she stood in the empty room, she realized that her confusion wasn't just about Ethan. It was about herself too. She didn't know who she was anymore. She didn't know what she wanted from this marriage or if it was even worth fighting for.
Her thoughts drifted back to their wedding day. She had been so hopeful, so excited for the future.
They had promised each other forever. But now, forever seemed like a distant memory.
The guilt crept up again. Was it all her fault? Had she done something wrong? Had she changed in a way that pushed him away? Or was it him all along, treating her like she didn't matter?
Sophia slowly walked to the window, looking out at the night sky. The stars were dim, barely visible behind the clouds. She wished she could see things.