– What kind of wife are you? Did I ever take you to the registry office? Put a ring on your finger?
Emily hesitated. She wanted all that deeply, yet they lived without it.
– No! No! And no! – shouted Michael. – You’re nobody to me! By what right do you call yourself my wife?
– Michael, don’t give me the silent treatment! – Emily pleaded, nearly in tears. – Can we talk it out?
– Is there anything left to say? – Michael fumed. – You’ve already said more than enough!
– But I didn’t say anything terrible, – Emily whispered.
– Remember this, or even better, write it down: silence is golden! Especially in your case! – he turned away.
– Darling, stop sulking! – she moved closer.
– It would be better if you said nothing at all! – he threw up his hands. – Where do you women learn to ruin everything with a single sentence? Is it taught at school or special courses on how to drive men nuts?
Emily assumed Michael’s silence was because she had scolded him that morning. And he had broken both his own and her favorite mugs.
– How could you? – she was angry. – Everyone has hands, but yours seem to be nefariously positioned!
Fine, break your own mug, why touch mine? Or were you ensuring no one had a favorite left?
A typical household spat. Usually not something to be taken to heart, just brushed off.
Yet, Michael left for work upset and returned without a word for Emily.
Just sulked, fumed, and ignored her efforts, even refusing dinner despite her calling him thrice.
But reconciliation was necessary!
– Michael, forget about the mugs, let’s go to the shopping centre Saturday and get new ones! And your hands, they’re just fine!
– What mugs are you on about? – Michael glared at Emily as if she were mad. – Don’t you realize what your words did?
– I can apologize, – Emily said, bewildered. – Please, don’t be upset!
– Apologize? – he laughed hysterically. – If sorry could fix what you did, I’d be the happiest man alive!
But no, you’ve crushed me! Destroyed me! Trampled on me!
– Goodness, what did I even say? – Emily realized it wasn’t about the mugs but couldn’t fathom what it was about.
– Who claimed they were ‘Emily, Michael’s wife’ when my boss rang today? – Michael yelled, spitting words at Emily.
– You were in the shower, and the phone wouldn’t stop ringing, – Emily stumbled, – I took the call and asked her to hold until I gave you the phone.
She asked who was speaking. So I said your wife. By the time I handed it over, she’d hung up. What’s so terrible?
– And you ask what’s wrong? – Michael’s face reddened, a vein throbbing on his temple. – How could you be my wife?
Did I walk you to the registry office? Get stamps in passports with you? Put a ring on your finger?
Emily paused. She wanted all of that very much, yet they lived without it.
– No! No! And no! – shouted Michael. – You’re nobody to me! What right do you have to call yourself my wife?
***
– How long will this go on? – asked Sophie with a smile.
– Mum, – Emily replied reproachfully, – times have changed, and puritan speeches don’t suit you. You, after Dad, had quite a life!
– Don’t you slander your mother! I know what I need! – Sophie kept smiling. – I’m of an age where gossip doesn’t stick. You’re young, life’s ahead.
– Mum, fifty-four is hardly old! You might marry yourself, maybe more than once, given the trends!
– If I found a decent man, I might, – she smoothed her hair, – for now, I make do with substitutes!
– And you lecture me! – laughed Emily.
Sophie stopped smiling then:
– Emily, I get many live without registry and stamps now, even have kids, calling it family.
But in legal terms, that’s cohabitation! Which offers no guarantees!
– Mum, if there’s love, it beats any guarantee, – replied Emily.
– Love today might be gone tomorrow. A husband offers security! At least for a child, with alimony assured.
And if it’s about assets, car, household items, even a court won’t grant you them if he refuses!
– Mum, Michael and I have a great relationship! We’ve lived together six years. Who needs stamps? We earn equally!
– Not persuading, not specific, unacceptable! – Sophie wagged her finger. – Emily, get him used to the idea!
Call him a husband jokingly, ask for a hug like a lovely wife.
Get him used to the words, let it circulate in his head. Then you can tie him down!
– If I scare him off with those words, I’ll start with an argument, end with loneliness! – Emily shook her head. – Happiness is fragile, Mum, it needs protection, not testing!
– Your life, – Sophie shrugged, – I’ll stand by you, alone or with grandkids.
Think on it, fun’s fine, but adulthood involves responsibility.
Without clear expectations in your relationship, it’s futile despite its rightness!
***
Emily appreciated her mother’s kindness and support. Though her advice prompted thoughts.
Marriage is mainly her security. It benefits, inevitably, women more.
Even her friend Anna advised she formalize things with Michael, bringing up different reasons:
– Suppose you two buy a house, car, or even lots of electronics. Loans would be in your surrogate family’s head’s name.
– Anna, – Emily said, – no labels!
– Fine, – Anna agreed. – Essentially on Michael. And what if you part ways?
– Don’t be pessimistic!
– Suppose something dramatic leads to a break-up, – Anna switched tracks seeing Emily’s look. – Michael could gift the house, car, or cottage to anyone! And there’s nothing you can do!
– I can speak up, – affirmed Emily.
– You will, – Anna showed a toothy grin. – But proving it’s shared is different! You miss out on jointly acquired assets!
– What about court and witnesses?
– Only the court can help, but even proving identity is hard, let alone shared ownership. Anyone he gifts to will bring crowds saying you didn’t contribute!
– You’re painting the worst scenario! – said Emily.
– I’m describing common legal issues people like you and Michael encounter.
– So, should I keep receipts, manage accounts, record talks about money, and shopping with Michael? – Emily asked.
– Or better yet, get him to the registry office, – Anna insisted with a friendly smile, suggesting the best option.
– Even Mum says I should drag him there. But first, I need him open to it, by making ‘husband, wife’ part of the dialogue.
– Work on it, then!
***
In the usual array of endearments, the term “hubby” stuck easily. Referring to herself as “wifey” felt natural. The words rolled off her tongue smoothly.
At first, Emily feared Michael would react rebelliously, but he only laughed; still, he never repeated those cherished words.
Emily only intensified her approach. Calling Michael her husband, and herself his wife, at every opportunity.
She internalized it so entirely that when Michael’s boss asked who she was speaking to, Emily absentmindedly said, “his wife,” as if it were the most natural thing.
***
– Michael, we’ve lived together so long, – said Emily, – I thought we were a family. No stamp, but isn’t this normal now? Ahead lies children and happiness!
– Keep thinking that way, why claim to my boss you’re my wife? Just hand me the phone!
– Darling, I’ve always called you husband, what’s the difference?
– The difference is you got me fired! You didn’t just ruin my mood! You’ve wrecked my life! Damaged my burgeoning career!
I’m not going to the registry with you, nor will I live with you! I’m packing right now!
– Michael, aren’t you overreacting? – Emily, stunned, said. – So I told your boss I’m your wife. What changed?
– My boss, Sarah, maintained me at the office with the hope of dating a single guy!
Now, as a married man, her dreams are shattered! She signed my dismissal by day’s end!
***
A week after Michael left, Sarah, his boss, paid Emily a visit:
– Emily, I wanted to apologize, – Sarah began, – not for firing Michael, but for the deceptions he subjected you to, – she paused.
– Understood, – Emily waved it off.
– I had particular plans for him. We frequently met informally—colleagues too…
Emily swallowed, repressing nausea.
– We thought he was single; so, naturally, we vied for his attention. Had we known, we’d have kept our distance…If he were a husband…
– We weren’t married…
– Nor cohabiting now, I guess, – Emily bowed her head.
– Honestly, – Sarah proclaimed, – you’re better off. He wasn’t a husband or partner—just a… rascal! You’re truly better without him!
Emily couldn’t disagree.
Not a husband, not a partner, just a… rascal.
