4

Angel walked after Dave into their bedroom, suddenly afraid of her husband. Dave was a complete stranger to her, as if he wasn't himself.  Angel doesn't know why, but she feels uncomfortable with Dave, who is now her husband.

“Why are you mad at me, Dave?” Angel ventured to ask, trying to be gentle with her husband. Didn't Dave say that he really liked Angel's tenderness?

However, Dave remained cold, completely untouched by Angel's tenderness. He just looked at Angel with disdain. “What husband doesn't get angry when his wife visits another man on the first day after they get married, as if you can't bear to rush into the man's arms?”

Angel's face paled at Dave's accusation, but she tried to defend herself. “You're the one who left me to work on the first day of our wedding! I'm confused and don't know what to do. Besides, I wasn't there to see Jim; I wanted to see my greenhouse.”

“What an excuse!” Dave looked at Angel condescendingly. “From the start I suspected there was something more between you guys… and don't try to throw the blame on me for going to work! Who do you think I work for? Isn't it to support my wife? You also receive the benefits of a luxurious house, expensive clothes and delicious food that will always be provided for you. So I hope you appreciate it and don't be a whiny girl just because I go to work.”

Dave's harsh words once again had made Angel's heart sliced. She took a step back, away from her husband, staring at him in disbelief.

“Dave?” her voice trembled.  “What's really going on?” she asked quietly, holding back her feeling.

Dave didn't seem touched by Angel's expression. He looked at her coldly. “No, nothing. It's just that I suddenly regretted my stupid decision to marry a low-class village woman who was ungrateful and instead was busy having an affair with another man.” Dave's eyes looked cruel at her. “And I think I'm too sick to sleep in the same room with you. Get out of my room and sleep in one of the empty rooms in this house. Wherever it is, look for the one farthest from my room.”

“Dave?” this time Angel couldn't hold back her tears, she felt very confused.

Dave stepped to the door. Before leaving, he turned his head coldly. “I'm going out and I hope when I get home you're smart enough to get all your stuff out of this room.”

Angel didn't know what to do. It was her first day of marriage and Dave had treated her so cruelly.

What's really wrong with Dave?   What was Angel's fault that Dave was so rude and at the same time had the heart to her? Angel's mind was deep in thought, but she couldn't find any answer.

Even after the wedding, before Angel entered the room, Dave was still gentle with her. At that time, he hugged her tenderly in their wedding dance while whispering how happy he was when he finally has to marry Angel.

While wiping her tears, Angel packed her clothes. She really didn't want to do it; being kicked out like this from her husband's room and humiliated by being told to pack her own clothes and move. However, her pride required her to do so. She didn't want that when Dave came home and found her still in this room, then he would humiliate her even more.

What should she do? Her conscience screamed, begging herself to run away from this house, back into the comfort of her greenhouse.  However, Angel is an adult woman, not a teenager anymore who can run away if she finds a problem that she can't afford to face.

Angel should be able to talk to Dave and straighten things out. Maybe Dave is jealous and misunderstood her relationship with Jim? Angel would explain that Jim was gay and Dave didn't have to worry about her relationship with Jim, once the opportunity arose.

***

Dave entered the mansion, which was located in a calm and quiet suburb. Suddenly a servant opened the door for him and bowed respectfully.

Dave looking at her calmly. “How is she?”

“Miss Daisy is very well now, sir. She was even able to take her medicine without a fight as usual.”

“Does she want to eat?” Dave asked anxiously, because he knew very well, Daisy would often scream for him and wouldn't eat. She would throw her food in all directions and throw a tantrum. The only one who could calm her down was Dave. Daisy mostly only wants to eat when fed by Dave.

The servant nodded her head excitedly. “She is very calm today. She drank her medicine obediently and then was about to eat her soup and rice when the maid fed her.”

That's great, Dave thought. With hasty steps, he stepped up the stairs to the top floor, to the room at the end, with a beautiful view of the green garden. Dave opened the door carefully. The room was dim as usual; Daisy's favorite mood.

Though it didn't really make any difference to her, Dave thought sadly.

Daisy was sitting in her wheelchair as usual, staring pensively at the balcony view. It was getting dark, but did Daisy feel the difference? Dave sometimes wondered when he always found Daisy sitting pensively overlooking the view on the balcony, as if she were enjoying the view. Even though Dave knew very well that there was no sight that Daisy could enjoy with her blind eyes.

Dave gently squeezed Daisy's shoulder and stood behind her. “Hi, sweetie, the maid said you were very good today. I'm proud of you.”

A smile appeared on Daisy's lips when she felt Dave's presence.

“Dave?” she whispered weakly. Her fingers gently squeezing Dave's hand on her shoulder. “Miss you.”

“I miss you too, Daisy, so much, but you know sometimes I have to go, don't you? To make our life better?” Dave gently turned and knelt in front of her wheelchair. “I'm glad you behaved well today, didn't break anything and trouble the maids. You make me very proud.”

There was a glimmer of happiness in Daisy's eyes as she looked down at Dave who was kneeling beneath her. “I love to make you proud,” she whispered weakly.

Dave looked at Daisy with love and compassion. Daisy was a very beautiful woman, once. Now she was so frail and thin, looking so weak that Dave felt that if he mishandled her, she might fall to pieces.

As usual, Dave rested his head on Daisy's lap, letting her rub his head, giving him a glimmer of peace. Dave closed his eyes.

The time was drawing near… the moment he had been waiting for had arrived.

                              ***