David sat on the edge of the guest room bed, listening to every sound from behind the door. He heard Elara's pacing footsteps, the creak of Alisha's door, and finally, muffled sobs. Each sound was like a knife cutting through his heart.
He opened the bedside table drawer and pulled out their wedding album. Page by page, he looked at each photo with increasingly narrowed eyes. In those photos, Elara was always smiling—but now David wondered, were those smiles for him? Or just a mask to hide her true feelings?
"You love the woman I thought you were," David whispered to the photo on the first page, where they both stood at the altar with shining eyes. "But who are you really?"
He closed the album firmly, then stood and walked to the window. The city outside looked quiet, but his mind was noisy with unanswered questions. Why did he give the ultimatum? Why not just end it all? Was it because of love? Or pride? Or fear of starting over in his forties?
David let out a long sigh. He remembered first meeting Elara—a young woman full of doubts, searching for stability in life. He became her anchor, giving her everything he thought she needed. But now he realized, maybe what Elara needed wasn't luxurious buildings or jewelry, but something he could never give: passion.
"Was I wrong?" David murmured to his reflection in the window. "By giving her all the material comfort, did I actually make her feel trapped?"
He returned to the bed and picked up his phone. His finger opened the messaging app, stopping at a conversation with Elara from months ago—a time when their messages were still filled with terms of endearment and heart emojis. Now, their conversations were cold and formal, like two business partners negotiating.
Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door. David straightened up. "Yes?"
No answer, only the sound of footsteps walking away. Elara. It must have been her. David almost rushed to open the door, but his feet remained rooted to the floor. What was the point? What would he say? I'm sorry? Or ask for an apology?
He decided to stay in the room, listening as Elara returned to their bedroom. It felt strange, knowing his wife was just meters away, yet feeling farther than when he was on business trips abroad.
David finally lay down, staring at the ceiling. He had won the battle—Elara chose to stay with him. But why did it feel like a defeat? Because he knew, even though Elara was physically here, her heart and mind might be gone forever.
"Tomorrow," he whispered to himself before finally falling asleep, "we start from zero. Or perhaps, we start from the end."