“How Dare He?” A Tale of a Cracked Marriage
“That’s it, I’ve had enough!” James slammed his fist onto the table, sending the fine china rattling. “I never want to see her in this house again!”
“Are you serious right now?” Emily glared at her husband, her voice trembling with fury. “Last I checked, I live here too, and I can invite who I like!”
“For now,” he growled.
“Oh, is that how it is?”
“I’ve said my piece,” James snapped, shoving his chair back so hard it toppled over. He stormed out, slamming the kitchen door behind him.
Emily stood alone, heart pounding in her ears. His words stung like a slap. “For now”… How dare he?
Charlotte—her best friend since childhood. They’d grown up together in Brighton, shared umbrellas in the rain, slept over at each other’s houses, pulled each other out of scrapes too ridiculous to recall without laughing. And now James expected her to cut Charlotte off?
Why? Because she wasn’t married? Because she didn’t spend her days buried under laundry and shepherd’s pie, but actually went on dates and enjoyed her life? So what if she accepted gifts from admirers? That was her business, her rules.
Emily had told James all about their girlish escapades. He used to laugh! Now suddenly—ban her? On what grounds?
She marched into the living room, ready to settle this once and for all.
“James, we’re not done. What’s your problem with Charlotte? What’s she ever done to you?”
“To me?” He scoffed. “As if! Just keep her out of our house.”
“Explain.”
“Are you really that clueless?” He shot up like he was ready to bolt out the door in his slippers. “Your precious Charlotte’s a flake. Changes men like socks. Lives off their wallets. And you—you cheer her on!”
Emily blinked, stunned.
“James, have you lost it? I love you! I don’t want anyone else!”
“Right. ‘Love you, can’t live without you.’ While secretly envying Charlotte—and your sister Lucy!”
Emily flushed.
“What’s Lucy got to do with this?”
“Everything! She shouldn’t be welcome here, either.”
Emily froze. Suddenly, it clicked. Lucy—her younger sister—had once been tangled in a messy affair. Years with a man, dreaming of marriage… until it turned out he had a wife and two kids. When the truth surfaced, the family erupted. Everyone judged Lucy—until, out of nowhere, the man moved away with his family… and left her a flat. Tiny, but in central London.
Overnight, the judgment vanished. Some even praised it: “At least he did the decent thing.” Emily had told James all about it. And apparently, her admiration hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“Well? Say something!” James barked, snapping her back to reality.
“Fine. Lucy’s a grown woman. She decides who she dates and what gifts she accepts.”
“Oh, I bet! Gets a free flat and it’s all sunshine. Don’t tell me you weren’t jealous—your eyes lit up when you talked about it!”
“Rubbish. Imagine if you had a mate who chased women left and right, wined and dined them. Then suppose your brother—a father of two—gifted one of them a flat. Would you applaud?”
“I don’t care. It’s their life, not mine,” Emily said softly.
“Exactly. But in my house, those women aren’t welcome. Not Charlotte, not Lucy.”
Emily said nothing. She walked to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and cried. Out of despair. Out of helplessness. Because the man she loved didn’t just refuse to hear her—he judged her. Based on scraps, on his own twisted logic. He didn’t see the woman beside him every day—the one who cooked, listened, stood by him. He only saw the reflection of others’ choices.
So now what? Divorce? Or swallow her pride and betray the people who’d stood by her forever? It felt like no choice at all. But the thought of betraying herself—that was the sharpest cut of all.
