GasLight

LILA

Just at that moment, Lowell rolled over, and our gaze met.

He didn't flinch. With one glance at the woman sleeping in his embrace, in nothing more than a pair of shorts and a top, he placed a finger to his lips.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Reduce your voice," he hissed. "Can't you see she's asleep?"

"On our matrimonial bed, Lowell, and you're asking me to be quiet?" I cried.

A small moan prickled my ear, and I watched Claire move closer to him, slowly blinking her eyes open.

"What's... all... the noise about Lowell?" She breathed.

"It's nothing," my husband lovingly replied, waving me away. "Go back to sleep."

I didn't know whether to cry or shout.

Speechless, I did the only thing I could think of: I quietly walked out of the room.

This wasn't the first time Lowell brought an outsider into our room. Whenever his mom or sister slept over, they would demand that we vacate the room for them. We had two extra bedrooms in our modern flat, yet they always insisted on staying in ours.

"The master bedroom is the biggest; it is culture that you honour your in-laws," Mrs Black would assert.

The first time I spoke to Lowell about it, he had thrown his card at me and said,

"They're family. Go rent a hotel room for the night if you're not comfortable sleeping in the guestroom."

Is Claire family too?

A minute later, he walked into the living room, visibly angry.

"What is wrong with you, Lila?"

"What is wrong with me?"

"I told you to be quiet. You saw that Claire was asleep."

My heart clenched as I stared at him in disbelief.

"Not only did you bring her into our home without my consent, but you're letting her take over our room, too? Isn't that insulting to me?"

For a brief second, just a tiny, brief second, guilt flashed across his face, but Lowell masked it immediately.

"It's your fault. If you had set up the guest room, then she wouldn't have slept in our room." He countered. "She's a very important guest to me, Lila. It is my wife's duty to ensure my guests are well catered for."

"I was out. You could've asked one of the maids to do it."

"I'm doing this for you. Do you want her to think my wife can't take care of the home?"

His self-righteous tone slapped me across the face.

"So I should act as a maid to your first love?"

"It's just a bed, Lila. It's just sleep and nothing more." My husband shrugged casually, glancing towards our room in worry.

I could hardly believe my ears.

Sleep and nothing more after finding them in that position?

I'd been with this man for five years, three months, and thirteen days, yet he had never once cuddled me.

Whenever I slept on the couch, he slept on the sofa. We had only ever shared the bed thrice in those years, because according to Lowell, he liked his space.

"What is wrong with you, Lila?" he asked coldly. "You were never like this, but ever since Claire came, you've been acting up."

Normally, I would have held back. I didn't want to give him a reason to give up on us, so I always forced away my feelings, hoping one day I wouldn't have to anymore. But today, I couldn't.

"I'm your wife," I choked out.

"Who said otherwise?" Lowell frowned. "Get your excuse straight, Lila. Claire has nothing to do with your tantrum. Nothing has changed between us except your attitude. You do it all for my family, so there should be no issue since Claire is just like family," he added dismissively.

God... is this what I get after five years of being with him?

And to think I was holding back because I thought this was all a misunderstanding.

Glaring at him, I stood up straight.

"I've had enough."

"What does that even mean?"

"I refuse to be treated like this, Lowell. Let's divorce."

The room went quiet until-

"Divorce." He let out an amused scoff. "Did you take up acting in your spare time?"

"I'm serious, Lowell. I'm just coming from-"

He cut me off with a raised hand.

"I'm going to return before Claire wakes up. She seems to have an upset stomach, so make soup for dinner. Also, clean out the guest rooms, as my mother and sister will be sleeping over tonight."

"Lowell, I-"

"Enough, Lila. Enough with your pity party. I give you everything you ask for, so what more do you want?" Lowell snapped. "Have dinner ready by six."

And without another word, he walked away.