Chasing His Rejected Wife

I lay in the dark, the soft glow of the streetlight seeping through the curtains casting dim shadows across the room. The only audible symphony in my thin-walled apartment was the muffled clinking of dishes over running water, the rhythmic swish of a dishcloth, and Aiden's footsteps as he walked back and forth in the living room.

He was busy tidying up the remnants of our shared dinner - a dinner that had been filled with strained silences and stolen glances.

Closing my eyes, I attempted to coax my restless mind to some level of calm. I'd heard of mental exhaustion from friends who'd been through some shit, but until now, I hadn't understood what they meant.

It was a brain-deep tiredness that made my temples and teeth ache, and my thoughts felt sluggish and jumbled.

Sleep tempted me, dancing just out of my reach, and I sighed, knowing that sleep would not come, not while Aiden was still here.

The air felt charged with his presence, like an electric current that crackled through every inch of the small apartment.

I had never experienced this problem back in the mansion, probably because of the sheer size of the house, and it had been easy to shut my mind off from Aiden's presence in the house.

Here, however, the walls were thin, the tiniest sound leaching through to my bedroom, making it impossible to do the same here. Each time I thought I had succeeded, the sound of Aiden's footsteps would jerk me back to awareness. I wished he would just leave.

Yet, some part of me - the part that dreaded the yawning loneliness that awaited when he did, wanted him to stay just a little longer.

His presence both unsettled and comforted me.

In the background, Aiden's phone buzzed but was quickly silenced. Again.

He'd set it to vibrate earlier, but that hadn't been enough to make me oblivious to the dozens of phone calls he'd gotten throughout the evening.

He'd never answered any of them, at least not in my presence, but each time had sent a jab of pain through me.

Each time the calls came in, my mind involuntarily wandered to thoughts of Elisa.

I'd pushed those thoughts far away, unwilling to sink into that particular hole of dank torture.

It was enough that my dreams were filled with images of the two of them together, more like nightmares that left me gasping awake, my cheeks wet with tears.

I knew tonight would be no different, and I was determined to keep my waking moments as Elisa-free as possible.

A deep murmur of Aiden's voice, hushed but still carrying through the thin walls reached my ears and I caught myself straining to catch his words, which wasn't difficult to do since sound carried very well here. "Not tonight."

I heard him say, his tone clipped and tinged with impatience.

He appeared to listen for a moment then. "My schedule's full for the next few days, I'll let you know when I have the time."

He must have ended the call then because I heard nothing else. Slowly, I slid down from my perch, deep in thought.

Who had he been talking to just then? It couldn't have been a business call because it was already so late in the evening. A personal call then.

Elisa? I dismissed this possibility as quickly as it came up.

I had heard him speak with her over the phone before and he would never use that tone with her. Then I berated myself for bringing up her name in my mind.

I heard Aiden's footsteps alarmingly heading in the direction of my bedroom and I panicked. I didn't want to talk to him, even though I was sure he just wanted to tell me he was leaving.

I still didn't want to see him again, not tonight so I quickly lay down, turned away from the door, pulled the duvet over my shoulders, and feigned sleep.

Aiden paused outside my door, and I held my breath, muscles tense for long moments, wondering if he would open the door to check if I was asleep.

My pulse pounded loudly in my ears as I waited, suspended in uncertainty. He was silent outside my door, not making a single sound and I wondered what was going through his mind. Then he turned away and I breathed easier once more when I heard his footsteps retreat, this time going all the way to the front door.

Seconds later, I heard the door open and close softly and I heaved another sigh of relief.

Aiden was gone, leaving behind a lingering trail of emotions and unanswered questions. Yet once the sounds faded, it left behind a crushing silence that left me uneasy, and alone.

I sat up again, pulled my legs up and tucked my chin between my knees, my hands hugged my calves as I stared absently at the lights that flickered through the curtains, lost in thought.

How was this whole deal going to work if I chose to stay married to Aiden? We barely functioned like a normal couple, there was too much water under the bridge to pretend our past difficulties never existed. What did this mean for his relationship with Elisa? Anna's words came back to me..."You're in a position to make some demands of your own now."

And I would be making those demands. There was little doubt about that. One thing I was certain of was that I would not settle for being the other woman.

The one people looked at with pity and scorn, I'd already endured that nonsense for two years and I was fed up.

How far was Aiden willing to go to keep this our sham of a marriage intact? What would Aiden do if I made it clear that his relationship with Elisa had to end?

"I guess that's for me to find out, isn't it?" I said, my voice loud in the silence.

And while I was in the process of discovery, there were certain things I needed to know about the circumstances behind Aiden's reluctant acceptance to marry me in the first place.

The conversation I'd overheard on the hospital roof between Vincent and Aiden flooded my mind again. What did Aiden mean when he'd said I had to be the one to initiate the divorce proceedings?

What had his father held over his head to make him stay married?

I knew it would be a waste of time to ask Aiden directly, but Vincent...

I picked up my phone from the bedside table and searched up Vincent's number. I noticed I had a lot of unread messages and missed calls - I'd put my phone on silent since the hospital and hadn't checked it as often as I should. Ignoring those for now, I opened Vincent's chat and typed a text. He would probably be asleep unless he was on the graveyard shift at work, either way, he would see my text sooner or later.

Me: Hey.

Do you have time tomorrow? I need a favor.

I sent it and waited for a while, but there was no reply. Sleeping then. I took the time to check my messages, there were several from friends at work wishing me a speedy recovery, two from Claire updating me on some work-related issues, and a string of texts from Anna. I opened that and smiled at the all-caps text.

If you're loving the book, nel5s.com is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! Anna: WHAT HAPPENED??

Anna: DID THE FORNICATING BASTARD LET YOU STAY AT YOUR OWN PLACE???

Anna: WELL????

Anna: DO YOU NEED INTERVENTION? I CAN COME KIDNAP YOU FROM THE HOUSE IF HE FORCES YOU TO STAY THERE!!

Anna: JUST SAY THE WORD, I'LL SWAT TEAM HIS ASS.

Anna: BITCH, I'M DYING HERE. I NEED THE TEAAAA

I chuckled at the desperation and quickly fired off a text.

'Sorry got caught up with stuff. I'm at my apartment, Stand down for now and come see me in the morning.'

This time the reply was instant.

Anna: Omfg! Did you get your way?

Anna: Atta girl.

Anna: See you in the morning. I'll bring breakfast.

Still smiling, I sent a thumbs-up emoji, my heart a little lighter from chatting with my friend. It felt good to know that someone had my back and I didn't doubt that Anna wouldn't hesitate to give Aiden hell if I asked. My phone lit up with an incoming message from Vincent.

Yeah sure. When and where?

I thought for a while then gave him the address to my place. I'd been ordered to take it easy and limit moving about too much for a couple of days, so it was easier to have him meet me here.

I set the phone down and lay down, intending to get some rest. Sleep took a while to come, but eventually, I drifted off.