Chapter 5

She glanced at the wall clock, its ticking, breaking the silence. More than two and a half hours had passed, time slipping away like a whisper. She didn’t want to get up; her knees felt numb.

“Ugh…” she groaned in discomfort. Then, she noticed her diary was there, on the table near the bed.

The big question was who had put her there—Adam, perhaps, or… but the room was empty, and confusion clouded her thoughts.

She wondered if Adam had already returned home, but why hadn’t he woken her up? Clutching the blanket for support, she battled a pounding headache. She closed her eyes again, hoping to escape from the harsh reality, but it seemed like the more she wanted to get away, the more stuck she became.

She was still in a fog. When had she even made it to the bed? She couldn’t recall. The villa’s servants wouldn’t enter her room without a good reason. She covered her face with her hand.

Then, with a sudden jolt, she sat up. Her eyes widened as she noticed a different scent on her body. She smelled herself, confused. She hadn’t applied any perfume or anything like that. Where did this fragrance come from? But she couldn’t deny that it was pleasant—a soothing, mild scent that calmed her mind.

She held onto herself, inhaling the mysterious fragrance without worrying about its origin. Lost in her own world, she only returned to reality when she heard approaching footsteps. It was no longer her room but ‘their’ room, only a day into their marriage.

The doorknob turned, and the door creaked open. Adam entered, preoccupied with a document in hand, always engrossed in his work. Grace stole a glance at him, and he briefly tore his eyes from the document to notice her dazed state.

“Did you wake up?” he asked casually, making her flinch.

She nodded slightly. He settled onto the couch, crossing his legs. But the way she sat puzzled him; she didn’t want to let go of that captivating fragrance, and his presence seemed to disturb her.

Grace slowly rose from the bed, and her feet met the chilly floor, causing her to flinch, which caught Adam’s attention. She hid her reaction, not wanting it to show on her face. She made her way to the bathroom, taking a few minutes to freshen up.

Meanwhile, Adam was rummaging through his cupboard, and she didn’t inquire about it. When he finally noticed her presence, he turned toward her.

“You can stay in this room. I’ll move to the guest room,” he said, surprising her.

She hadn’t expected this at all.

“I understand that my presence makes you uncomfortable. I’ll move out now. This room is yours,” he declared.

She glanced around, lost in deep thought, shocked by his words. He was giving up his room for her, but she didn’t want that. Adam started packing his belongings.

“No… there’s no need to move… you don’t have to move out, Brother… I mean, I can leave. After all, this room was never mine. You’ve already settled in.” Her words stumbled, and she looked down, her fingers interlocked nervously. She felt a jumble of emotions but didn’t want to make things more awkward between them.

He was taken aback by her words. “No, really, I should move out,” he insisted.

“You’d have to shift all your things. I don’t have much to move, so I’ll go to that room,” she explained.

It hit him then that there was hardly anything of hers in the room—just her wedding dress, one party dress, and two pajamas her mother had given her. His heart ached at the realization.

Grace took her diary and pen, leaving the room without looking back at her so-called husband. He stood there, feeling like a bewildered child unable to grasp the adults’ conversation, unable to decipher her thoughts.

As Grace left the room, she clutched her diary tightly to her chest, and her lower lip bore the brunt of her bite, making it look like a cherry. A small wound formed, and a drop of blood oozed from it.

After that, she didn’t come out of her room, even skipping dinner. He was confused by her actions. He called her for dinner, but she didn’t respond to him, so he thought she was already asleep.

After that night, she didn’t emerge from her room, skipping meals and ignoring his calls. Their interactions became few and far between. When she came out, he wasn’t home, and when he was home, she stayed locked in her room. Loneliness slowly swallowed her up.

The memories she yearned to forget and the darkness she longed to escape became suffocating. Loneliness and isolation consumed her, leaving just a flicker of her soul. Her depression began to resurface, and she had abandoned her medication a while ago, with no pills left. She was fighting a silent battle with her depression, which was exacerbated by her isolation.

Adam remained oblivious to her inner storm, thinking she was fine without his presence. As a result, he spent more time at work, trying to avoid any awkward moments between them. The growing chasm between them remained unnoticed, their unspoken struggles pushing them further apart.

***

Days passed with a heavy heart. She had no desire to go out and socialize with friends, though she didn’t really have any. It was a lonely existence, and she wasn’t Grace anymore; she was Faith.

One night, Adam woke up thirsty and headed downstairs to get some water. The hall was enveloped in darkness, not a glimmer of light to be found—just a faint glow seeping in through the window, casting dim shadows.

He made his way to the kitchen, grabbed the water bottle, and as he turned to leave, something caught his eye, almost making him jump in fear. Someone was sitting on the sofa in the darkened hall.

He rubbed his eyes, thinking it might be a trick of his sleepy mind, but no, the figure was still there. And then, it finally dawned on him.

It was Grace.

His so-called wife.