“How dare he?” A Crack in the Marriage
“That’s it, I’ve had enough!” Steven slammed his fist on the table, making the china plates rattle. “Make sure I never see her again!”
“Are you serious right now?” Emma glared at her husband, her voice trembling with anger. “Or have you forgotten I live here too and can invite whoever I want?”
“For as long as you do,” he snapped.
“Oh, is that how it is?”
“I’ve said my piece,” Steven shot back, shoving his chair back so hard it toppled over. He stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door behind him.
Emma was left alone, her heart pounding in her ears. His words stung like a slap. “For as long as you do”… How dare he?
Sophie—her best friend since childhood. They’d grown up together in Bristol, hiding from storms under the same umbrella, sleeping over at each other’s houses, pulling each other out of scrapes they couldn’t even remember now without laughing. And now Steven was demanding she cut Sophie out?
Why? Just because she wasn’t married? Because she didn’t stay home cooking roasts and dusting, but instead went on dates, laughed, actually lived her life? So what if she accepted gifts from suitors? That was her business, her rules.
Emma had told Steven all about their girlhood adventures. He used to laugh along! Now suddenly—he wanted to ban her? On what grounds?
She marched into the living room, determined to set things straight.
“Steven, we weren’t finished. Explain to me—why do you hate Sophie so much? What’s she ever done to you?”
“To me?” He scoffed. “As if I’d care! Just keep her out of this house.”
“Then explain.”
“Do you really not get it?” He jumped up like he was ready to bolt outside in his slippers. “Your Sophie’s a flake. She swaps men like socks, lives off their wallets, and you’re fine with it. You’re friends with her—which means you condone it.”
Emma blinked, stunned.
“Steven, have you lost your mind? I love you—there’s no one else for me!”
“Right. ‘Love you, can’t live without you.’ Meanwhile, you’re jealous—of Sophie, and of your own sister, Lucy!”
Emma flared up.
“What does Lucy have to do with this?!”
“Everything! She shouldn’t be in my house either!”
Emma froze. Suddenly, it all made sense. Lucy, her younger sister, had once been caught up in a scandal. She’d dated a man for years, dreaming of a future—only to find out he was married with two kids. When the truth came out, the family was furious. Everyone judged Lucy. Then—out of nowhere—a parting gift: the man moved his family away… and left her a flat. Small, but right in the city centre.
Overnight, the criticism stopped. Some even praised it—‘At least he did right by her.’ Of course, Emma had told Steven all about it. And clearly, her admiration hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“Well? Say something!” Steven barked, snapping her out of it.
“I will. Lucy’s an adult—she decides who she dates and what gifts she accepts.”
“Oh, sure! Got herself a flat, didn’t she? And don’t tell me you weren’t jealous—your eyes lit up when you talked about it!”
“That’s rubbish. Imagine if you had a mate who was always stringing girls along, wining and dining them. Then your own brother—father of two—suddenly gifts one of them a flat. Would you be thrilled?”
“I wouldn’t care. It’s their life, not mine,” Emma said quietly.
“Exactly. But in my house, those women aren’t welcome anymore. Not Sophie, not Lucy!”
Emma didn’t reply. She walked to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and finally let herself cry. Out of frustration, helplessness—because the man she loved wasn’t just refusing to listen. He was judging her. Judging her by scraps, by his own paranoia. He didn’t see the woman beside him every day—the one who supported him, cooked, listened, shared his life. All he saw was a shadow of other people’s choices.
What now? Divorce? Or stay silent, betray the ones who’d always been there? It felt like no choice at all. But the thought of betraying herself—that was the worst of it.
