Clara was stunned when her husband immediately touched her body. As usual, the man knew when it was time to satisfy his desires for the woman he considered his doll.
Sean's cold touch crept back onto Clara's skin. Sean pulled her roughly, as if Clara's body was nothing more than an outlet for his desires. There were no tender kisses. There were no gentle caresses like a normal married couple. There was only raw lust without love.
They ended up having sex even though there was no feeling.
Clara closed her eyes tightly, hoping she wouldn't have to feel the same pain again. Night after night it was always like this. She longed for intimacy, but all she got was a relationship that eroded her self-esteem.
When it was all over, when Sean had reached the peak of pleasure, he turned away without a word. The man left Clara, who was still staring at his back with a broken heart.
"Sean ...." The call came out so softly, almost inaudible.
Sean didn't respond. His breathing was steady, as if he were already sound asleep. He slept as if nothing had happened. Clara sobbed softly on the bed that was too large for a love that never grew.
★
★★★
★
The next morning.
The first rays of morning light slipped through the fluttering white curtains. Clara woke up with a heavy head. Her eyes were swollen from crying all night. She tried to smile, once again pretending that everything was fine.
"I have to stay here," she whispered to herself. "I believe that one day... he will love me."
As she got out of bed, her eyes caught Sean's phone still lying near the pillow. The screen lit up with a new message.
"Honey, thank you for an amazing night. I miss you already 😘 — Moana."
Clara's blood seemed to stop flowing.
Her hands trembled. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She carefully put the phone back, as if touching it too roughly would make the pain worse.
"Why are you doing this to me, Sean?" she hissed, her voice breaking.
Her tears could no longer be held back. She cried.
In the dining room, Clara tried to act normal. She prepared breakfast as usual. Toast, sunny-side-up eggs, and fresh orange juice—all Sean's favorites. Even though she knew he wouldn't touch any of it.
Sean descended the stairs. He was wearing a neat light blue shirt. His face was expressionless, but it was clear that he was in a hurry.
"I have to leave now," he said briefly as he grabbed his jacket.
Clara plucked up her courage. "Have breakfast first, Honey .... I've prepared it."
"I'm not hungry."
"At least drink the juice—"
"I said no." Sean's tone rose, his words sharp as a knife.
Clara nodded quickly. "I-I'm sorry, I just—"
"You just annoy me every morning." Sean cut her off coldly.
Clara fell silent. Something in her chest was tearing apart little by little.
Sean turned his face away. "Stop acting like a desperate wife. I never asked for your attention. Let the maid make breakfast for me! I'm disgusted eating your cooking!"
The man was about to walk away when Clara suddenly said,
"When are you going to stop seeing or loving Moana?"
It was as if an explosion had occurred. Sean turned with a dark look.
"Don't bring Moana into this situation!" he snapped. "She's the only woman who makes me feel alive!"
Clara froze. Those words hit her right in the heart.
The only one... who made Sean feel alive... Not her. Not his legal wife. But it was a woman who was his secret lover. Moana. Moana made Sean feel alive.
"I'm your wife," Clara said with a trembling voice. "Why have you never tried to love me?"
Sean laughed cynically. "Did I ever say I would love you? Don't expect too much, Clara."
Clara covered her mouth, holding back her sobs.
Sean grabbed the doorknob. "If you feel tormented living with me, you always have the option to leave. Go ahead and file for divorce! Because I can't file for divorce first!"
Clara stared at the man with red eyes. "I don't want to leave. I want us to fix everything."
"There's nothing to fix," Sean replied coldly. "Because nothing is broken. I just don't love you. Period."
The man then opened the door and left, without looking back even once.
Clara stood frozen for a long time. Her husband's words echoed repeatedly in her ears.
Indeed, nothing was broken. But Clara's heart was shattered into pieces.
The maid who had been watching from a distance approached hesitantly.
"Mrs. Clara... Are you okay?"
Lili, one of the maids, asked cautiously.
Clara quickly wiped her tears and forced a smile. "I'm fine. Please tidy up the dining table."
Lili nodded slowly, but her face showed sympathy. Everyone could see how real the suffering was. Only Clara was still trying to lie to herself.
★
★★★
★
That day, Clara decided to go out. She drove her car to the city park. She needed some air. She needed time to breathe.
She sat on a park bench, watching the children laughing happily, the mothers hugging their babies lovingly. The scene, which should have been simple, pierced her heart.
Clara touched her stomach again. Her empty stomach... a dream that was never allowed to grow. Her desire to conceive and have children was something impossible in this world.
"I want to be a mother..." She whispered bitterly. "I want to have a happy family. Why is it so difficult for me to have that?"
A middle-aged woman walked by carrying a tiny baby. Clara smiled, but her eyes held an ocean of sadness that no one could see.
After feeling better, Clara decided to go home. She returned to the suffocating loneliness. She sat in the living room, hugging her knees. Silence enveloped the large room, making every second feel like a punishment.
Suddenly, the phone on the table rang. A message came in.
"Sean is mine and you will never be able to have him!"
The message was sent from an unknown number. But Clara knew it was a message sent by Moana.
"We always make love every day. Sean is very satisfied with my service. He will never care about your feelings. So, stop hoping! Go away! File for divorce and leave that luxurious house! Let me replace you." Another message arrived.
Clara snorted. She stared at the message with teary eyes.
"Don't you believe me? Look at this photo if you need proof!" Moana sent another message that seemed even more challenging.
Then, the unknown number sent an image. Clara opened the sent image. And it turned out to be a photo of a pregnancy test with two lines.
"I'm pregnant. And this baby is your husband's child!" Moana sent another short
message below the photo.