Chapter 12: Begging for Home

Elena's Pov

I wake up exhausted after barely three hours of sleep, my mind still spinning with questions about why everything in my life feels like it's built on secrets I can't access.

Julian climbs into my bed around seven, "Mama, can we go home today? I miss my room."

"I miss it too baby," I whisper, kissing his forehead.

 "Let me talk to Daddy okay."

After breakfast I gather my courage and call Alexander's office, his assistant Jennifer answers on the third ring.

 "Harrington Global, Mr. Harrington's office."

"Jennifer, it's Elena, I need to speak with Alexander please, it's important."

 "Mrs. Harrington, Mr. Harrington is in back to back meetings all day.

 I'm not sure when he'll be available."

"Can you interrupt him? Just for five minutesa, I really need to talk to him."

 "I'm sorry Mrs. Harrington, he left specific instructions not to be disturbed today, would you like to leave a message."

I close my eyes, trying not to feel the sting of rejection.

"No, no message, thank you Jennifer."

I hang up and immediately try his personal cell, it rings four times then goes to voicemail.

 His voice professionally distant, you've reached Alexander Harrington, leave a message.

I don't leave one, just hang up and try again, same result, voicemail.

I switch to texting, my fingers trembling as I type.

Alexander please, I need to talk to you, it's important, please just call me when you get a chance.

I watch the message go from delivered to read within two minutes, but no response comes, an hour passes while I distract Julian with cartoons and building blocks, checking my phone every few minutes.

Nothing.

I try texting again, swallowing my pride.

I'm sorry for defying you, I know I shouldn't have met Marcus without telling you.

 I just want to come home, please let us come home, Julian misses you, I miss our life.

It takes twenty minutes this time but finally three dots appear showing he's typing, my heart jumps with hope.

You'll come home when you've learned your place, not before.

I stare at the message, read it three times, each time feeling anger build hotter in my chest, learned my place, like I'm some disobedient child being punished.

I type back quickly before I can stop myself.

What place? Being invisible? Being controlled? I'm your wife Alexander, doesn't that mean anything to you?

His response comes faster this time.

Then act like it, stop embarrassing this family with Rivera, stop making me look like a fool, when you're ready to be obedient we'll discuss your return.

The word obedient makes me want to throw my phone across the room.

 I'm his wife not his employee, not his property to command.

I'm not a dog to be trained Alexander, I'm a person, your partner, the mother of your child, why can't you see that.

The message shows read but no response comes, five to twenty minutes passed he's done talking to me, dismissed me again like I'm not worth his time.

I sink onto the couch, Julian playing contentedly on the floor, completely unaware that his father is slowly destroying our family.

My phone rings and I grab it hoping desperately it's Alexander finally calling, but it's Marcus's name on the screen.

"Hey," I answer, my voice rough.

"How are you holding up?" Marcus asks gently, "I've been thinking about you all morning, about yesterday with the investigator."

"Not great honestly," I admit, "I've been trying to reach Alexander all day, he won't talk to me, just sends these cold texts about learning my place and being obedient."

"He said what?" Marcus sounds genuinely angry, "Elena, that's not okay, you're not his servant."

"I know but I don't know what else to do, I want to go home, I want things to go back to normal, or whatever passes for normal in our marriage."

"Why?" Marcus asks 

"why do you want to go back to a man who treats you like this."

The question stops me cold, "Because he's my husband, because Julian needs his father, because I made vows."

"Vows go both ways," Marcus says, "he made promises too, to love you, to honor you, to treat you as an equal partner, is he keeping those vows."

I don't have an answer, we sit in silence for a moment before Marcus speaks again.

"Talk to me Elena, tell me what you're feeling, what you're thinking."

So I do, for the next two hours I talk and Marcus listens, he doesn't interrupt or judge or tell me I'm being dramatic, he just validates everything I'm feeling.

"You deserve to be treated with respect," Marcus says 

"Not like some employee he can discipline when you step out of line, you deserve a partner who treate and value you 

"I know," I whisper, "I know I deserve better but he's all I have, this marriage is all I have."

"That's not true," Marcus says firmly, "you have yourself, you have Julian, you have your foundation work, you have people who care about you, your worth isn't defined by whether.

His words make something crack inside me, tears start falling and I can't stop them.

"I'm just so tired Marcus, tired of fighting, tired of trying, tired of feeling like I'm not enough."

"You are enough," Marcus's voice is so gentle, "you're more than enough Elena, he's the one who's failing, not you."

We talk until Julian gets hungry and I have to make lunch.

 Marcus makes me promise to call him later if I need to talk more.

After lunch Julian goes down for his nap and I'm cleaning up the kitchen when I hear crying from his room.

 I rush upstairs to find him sitting up in bed, tears streaming down his face.

"Baby what's wrong, did you have a bad dream?"

"I want Daddy," Julian sobs, "why doesn't Daddy come see us, doesn't he love us anymore."

My heart breaks into pieces, "Of course he loves you sweetheart, Daddy's just very busy with work."

"But you said we'd go home, you said Daddy would come see me, you lied Mama."

"I didn't lie baby, I thought we would go home, I'm trying to talk to Daddy about it."

"Call him now," Julian demands, "tell him I miss him, tell him to come get us."

"Sweetheart I've tried calling, Daddy's in meetings."

"Then call again," Julian's crying harder now, "please Mama, I want Daddy."

I pull out my phone with shaking hands, dial Alexander's number with Julian watching, it goes straight to voicemail, I try again, same result.

"See baby, Daddy's phone is off, he's probably in an important meeting, we'll try again later okay."

"No," Julian shakes his head, "Daddy doesn't want to talk to us, Daddy doesn't love us anymore."

"That's not true," I'm crying now too, "Daddy loves you so much, he's just confused right now."

But Julian won't stop crying, won't be consoled, he cries himself back to sleep while I hold him, his small body shaking with sobs.

Your son misses you, do you even care?

I watch as the message goes to delivered,Alexander is typing, my breath catches waiting for his response.

But the dots disappear, no message comes, he's read it, seen his son's pain, and chosen to say nothing.

I stare at my phone in disbelief, what kind of man sees his child suffering and doesn't even respond? 

Something inside me breaks completely, not with a dramatic snap but with a quiet crumbling, like a building slowly collapsing from the inside.

I've been fighting so hard to save this marriage, begging Alexander to let us come home, apologizing for things I shouldn't have to apologize for, and for what, for a man who can't even respond when his son is crying for him.

Maybe Marcus is right, maybe my worth isn't defined by whether Alexander chooses to love me, maybe I've been fighting for something that was never real to begin with.