GONE FOREVER

Maggie

As we sat in the dining room, with a table full of food that I had spent hours preparing, the air was thick with tension. The untouched chicken stood there mercilessly, waiting to be devoured. But none of us felt compelled to begin. We just sat there staring, or at least he just stared at me, burning a hole in my heart. I never expected him to love me, but I did expect him to be polite, especially to his own bloody wife. What was my fault, I didn’t want to marry him, but over the last three years I began to figure him out, I began to love him for who he was, and he couldn’t even try to do the same. What was my fault, all I wanted was to be happy in this life, but I’m stuck in a life where happiness isn’t even a requirement, at least not in his eyes. He drew a lot of girls in with his attractive aura. He sat there with his arms folded, as if he didn’t care about anything. I knew the moment I laid eyes on him that my heart would break the moment I started giving in. Even a night of pleasure couldn’t bring us together as a true husband and wife. Nights of pleasure couldn’t provide me with him, the love I sought from him as I gave him my all.

“Are you starving?”

The need for something piqued my interest. What was he doing staring at me? I had a need to know, a desire to know, what I did now. He looked at me again, this time with a smirk, and leaned forward on the table, a strange glow in his eyes. Was he overjoyed about something? "Don’t the food look delicious, the food my dearest wife made?” he started. “The food I needed to eat, but she had no idea that this would not fool me,” he sneered and leaned back against his chair. I was perplexed by his reaction to the meal I’d prepared. Couldn’t he just accept my thanks, my responsibility as a wife? I’m not sure what happened to me at the time, but all of my emotions were in a strange state, ready to explode, all because of his ungratefulness. In an instant, the feelings of love were transformed into feelings of hatred. I jumped up, my eyes fiercely burning through his blue ones. ”You know what, I’m sick and tired of you always being you, always doing what you want, always saying what you want, but I don’t give a shit about you and your ungrateful tush. You can either eat the bloody food I spent hours preparing, or you can go tell your hoes to get you something to eat, because I’m done pleasing you’re a$$.” His eyes were wide open. I rendered him speechless for a brief moment, but he quickly reverted to his arrogant self and stood up as well.

“How dare you,” he yelled, his voice venomous. I remained silent, staring at him, who couldn’t even control his own rage. I didn’t say anything else and dashed into the nearest available room. The lavatory. I heard footsteps behind me, but I ran as fast as I could, shut the door, and locked it. He began pounding on it, making loud noises throughout the otherwise quiet house.

“Open the door!” he yelled.

I got down on my knees, tears streaming down my cheeks, but it didn’t break my heart this time. Everything went black and I only felt emptiness.

I awoke with a throbbing headache. I was lying down on the cold bathroom floor. My emotions and everything else seemed to have vanished. I couldn’t feel anything as the memories passed by. But I was done with him, and I was done with this marriage. I couldn’t bear the thought of being unhappy for the rest of my life. I didn’t deserve such treatment, so I made a decision right away. I will be happy, prosperous, and no one will ever be ungrateful for having me in their lives. After he left for work the next morning. I quietly began packing my belongings, knowing that this was it, that there would be no second chances, no matter how much he begged. When I opened the cupboard, there it was. I’ve kept the piece of paper safe for at least a year now, knowing that this would happen and that it would be there when I needed it. As I reached for it, Divorce stood on top. My hands trembled with fear, but the courage strengthened me.I knew he was a liar, but I forgave him anyway. The sun shone brightly through the white curtains into the dim bedroom. Our bedroom, who couldn’t even save the marriage we’d worked on for three years. Those three years were completely wasted. I squandered my time trying to figure out someone who didn’t give a damn about me. But those days were over, and everything had vanished. I wasn’t going to cry, at least not right now. I needed to get away from the pain. I took a pen from the beside table and signed it. I grabbed my suitcases and walked out the door. Never looking back into the quagmire that engulfed me.

Jack

I enter a quiet house, which appears to be quieter today. Maggie could always be heard singing along to the radio in the kitchen, which was playing her favourite songs. I could always hear her hips swaying to the beat. She was a lovely lady, one to whom I grew accustomed, but I could never repay her kindness. I began yanking on my suffocating tie and yanked it off. I never said anything when I got home, and I never expressed my gratitude to her enough. But after last night, I realized I was mistaken and she was correct. I wanted to give us a chance now because I think I loved her over the last three years, which irritated me because I couldn’t understand these feelings. But that was no excuse, and I was going to do whatever it took to save us, this marriage.

“I’m home,” I exclaimed, but there was no response, no movement, and nothing came into view. I had a strange feeling about everything, so I went into her room to see if she was sleeping. There was no one, not a single soul, not even her, the one I was beginning to crave. The moment I wanted to make things right, she was gone. She was gone just as I was about to love her properly. It was all my fault, and I got exactly what I deserved. Maggie never called or returned, and I knew she was gone forever.