Chapter six: The sour truth

A few minutes later, after getting dressed in clothes that felt too formal for the turmoil inside me, we left the house and headed to see Dr. Gilbert. The drive was silent, filled with unspoken tension

We stepped into the waiting room of the hospital. The air conditioning felt cold against my skin. A nurse, her uniform crisp and white, nodded to us and pointed toward an open door. We walked in, my shoes making soft sounds on the polished floor.

Dr. Gilbert, rose from his chair as we entered. He offered a polite smile.

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Ethan," he said, his voice calm and professional.

"Good morning, Doctor," we replied together, our voices a little stiff.

He gestured to the two chairs in front of his large wooden desk, and we sat down, my hands clasped tightly in my lap. He settled back into his own chair, his gaze falling to his desktop computer.

"Ehm, Mrs. Theo has already told me what the problem is, which is not having a child after two years of marriage," he said, his fingers lightly tapping the keyboard. He then looked up, his eyes meeting mine, then shifting to Ethan. "So I want you to tell me if there is anything... I mean anything you've seen or felt that isn't medical. It could help in knowing the root of the problem." He paused, giving us space to speak.

My mind raced, trying to figure out how to explain the whole issue to him. How could I put into simple words the complex pain and unspoken truths of our marriage? My gaze drifted to Ethan, hoping he might say something, but he remained quiet, his face carefully blank.

Finally, I took a shaky breath. "Okay… um, Doctor… I… don't think it's necessary to run any test," I said, my voice barely a whisper, hoping he would understand what I was implying without me having to fully spell it out.

Dr. Gilbert's eyebrow slowly rose in surprise. He leaned forward slightly, his expression questioning. "What do you mean, Mrs. Ethan?" he asked, his voice still gentle but firm.

I swallowed hard. This was it. There was no turning back now. "Yes, Doctor, you heard me right." My voice started shaking, a tremor I couldn't control. And then, despite my best efforts, tears filled my eyes, blurring his face. "Ever since we got married, we have not had any intimacy."

My goal had been to be brave, to be bold, to tell the doctor everything Ethan was doing to me. He was the only one who might listen, who might understand. But now that the words were out, the emotion was too strong. What was happening? I was crying again, a fresh wave of tears that I couldn't hold back. They streamed down my face, hot and embarrassing. My chest felt tight, my throat closed up.

Dr. Gilbert reached across his desk and handed me a tissue from a box. "Here, Mrs. Ethan," he said, his voice compassionate. Then he turned his gaze to Ethan, his expression now more serious, more probing. "Is this true, Mr. Ethan?" he asked directly.

Ethan remained silent for a moment, his eyes flickering between me and the doctor. Dr. Gilbert's face showed his determination to get an answer. Finally, Ethan shifted in his seat, a small sigh escaping his lips.

“Yes, Doctor, but…" he began, his voice low.

"But what, Ethan?" I asked, my voice surprisingly strong despite my tears, finding a new burst of courage and anger.

He looked at me, his eyes cold. "But it wasn't my fault. My parents asked me to marry her against my own will for the sake of building relationships. For once, I don't see her as a wife; she doesn't turn me on. Instead, I get irritated seeing her." His words were like sharp stones, flung directly at me.

"Ethan!" I shouted, the sound ripping from my throat. I shot up from my chair, unable to believe what was coming out of his mouth. My hands flew to my chest, struggling to breathe, as if the air had been sucked out of the room. The shock, the pain, the betrayal, it was all too much.

He faced me fully, his expression unchanging, almost defiant. "Yes, Maya, it's time you knew the truth. I don't love you as a woman," he said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

My heart stopped. It felt like it had literally ceased to beat. I couldn't breathe anymore. My chest was still, paralyzed. This time, no tears came. My eyes were wide and dry, staring blankly. I desperately wanted them to come, to wash away the burning pain, but they wouldn't. My voice failed me. I stood there, frozen. I didn't know what to do. My world had just crumbled around me.

"Ethan doesn't see me, Maya, as a woman?" This thought raced through my mind over and over again, a broken record, each repetition more agonizing than the last. The words echoed in the silent room, though only I could hear them.

Dr. Gilbert, who had been sitting silently, visibly shocked by Ethan's blunt confession, finally found his voice. He leaned forward, his hands resting on his desk.

“You mean for the two years you've been married to her, you still didn't see her as a woman? And you could bring yourself to tell her that just now?" His voice was laced with disbelief and a hint of anger.

Ethan shrugged slightly, a careless gesture. "Yes, Doctor, she's the only one who sees this as a marriage, while I see it as a business connection," he said, his voice regaining its calm, almost detached tone. He paused for a moment, then continued, "My father's company oversees her father's school's legal affairs, so to continue the deal, I had to give in to their request and marry her until I fully earn their trust and see that I am capable of overseeing my father’s company." He spoke as if he were discussing a financial report, not a shattered life.

"Earn their trust and then send me away?" I asked, my voice raw, cutting him off sharply. My mind was reeling, trying to grasp the cold, calculated truth of his words.

"You must be joking, Ethan." I turned my head to Dr. Gilbert, pleading with my eyes. "Doctor, please don't mind him; he's making up a story. We were even in a relationship before our parents suggested we get married." I desperately wanted to undo his words, to make them untrue.

Just then, a sharp ringing sound came from Ethan's phone. He pulled it from his pocket and looked at the screen.

"Doctor, I think we're done here. I have an appointment." He stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back. He then looked at me, his eyes cold and unfeeling. "Stand up, let me drop you off before heading to where I'm going."

I stood up quietly, my legs feeling like jelly. It felt as if someone had poured cold water on me, leaving me numb and shivering inside. Every part of me was frozen in disbelief and pain. He walked to the door, his back to us. Just before he stepped out, he stopped and turned his head slightly towards the doctor.

"Remember what I told you last night," he said, his voice low, a clear warning. Then he walked out, expecting me to follow.

“What does he mean by this?” I stopped and looked at the doctor trying to guess his intentions.