Chapter 4
Chapter 4: The Delayed Awakening
Hearing his mother's venomous words, Daniel felt something deep within his core shatter completely. A loud, undeniable crack echoed in his mind.
Two years...
Exactly two full years had passed since their wedding day...
He asked himself, in all that time, how horribly oblivious had he been? How much had he missed?
Old memories suddenly flooded his mind, as sharp and vivid as a slow-motion film projecting straight into his brain.
He remembered all the times Emily had forced a strained, fake smile, insisting "Everything is perfectly fine" after every tense family dinner, even though her eyes were always red and swollen when she got into the car.
He remembered the endless, clumsy excuses she would invent to cover up his mother's sharp, biting criticisms about her background, her clothes, and her career.
He remembered how her entire body would instinctively shrink, flooding with extreme anxiety and panic, whenever Margaret announced an unannounced, surprise visit to their home.
And he remembered the familiar, repetitive phrase she had told him hundreds of times:
"Your mom means well, Daniel. Please don't be mad at her."
No.
She had never meant well. Not once.
Emily had carried the entire burden herself. she had used herself as a human shield, trading her own dignity and endurance to protect his relationship with his mother, ensuring he never had to choose between them. She had silently, entirely alone, endured humiliation after humiliation without uttering a single complaint.
Daniel's vision drifted back to the ruined cake on the floor.
The birthday candles were still rolling around in the smashed frosting, having never been lit. He had painstakingly picked out those exact candles himself this morning, eager to see the warm glow reflect in her eyes.
But now, Emily hadn't even been given the chance to close her eyes and make a wish. His mother's cruelty had stolen that small, pure joy from her.
May you like
He took a deep breath, swallowing the bitter ache rising in his chest. When he finally spoke, his voice dropped into an incredibly calm, unnervingly steady register, carrying an undeniable, absolute authority.
"Go upstairs and pack your bags."
