Kabanata 2

Arabella's POV

I stared at the empty side of our bed, almost midnight na, pero wala pa rin si Nathaniel. I glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table before letting out a quiet sigh. I had already sent him three messages, asking if he would be home for dinner and whether he was coming back tonight. But as usual, none of my messages had received a reply. I placed my phone beside me and slowly stood up, maybe he was busy.

I kept telling myself that every time he failed to come home early, he forgot to ask how my day went, I found myself eating dinner alone in this enormous house. Because I was his wife, and I wanted to believe that eventually, things would get better.

I walked toward the bathroom, removed my earrings, and looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing the silk nightdress I had bought a few days ago. It was beautiful, elegant, and something I had secretly hoped Nathaniel would notice.

But he probably wouldn't, he never did. I still remembered our wedding night. It was supposed to be the most beautiful night of my life. I had spent the entire day smiling, greeting guests, and accepting congratulations. I was happy because I believed I had finally found the man I would spend the rest of my life with. Nathaniel had looked incredibly handsome in his black tuxedo.

Everyone admired, and believed we were the perfect couple. But when we arrived at our honeymoon suite, he removed his jacket, placed it on a chair, and looked at me with an expression I couldn't understand.

"I'll be sleeping in the other room."

I blinked. "What?"

He loosened his tie. "I have an early meeting tomorrow. I don't want to be disturbed."

I tried to smile. "Alright, I understand."

He didn't say anything else, he just simply picked up his phone and walked out of the bedroom. That night, I slept alone. I thought it was because he was tired, perhaps he needed time to adjust to married life. But the next night, he did the same thing, and the night after that.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. We lived under the same roof, shared the same surname, and appeared together at social events, but we never truly became husband and wife.

He never touched me, not even once. There were no goodnight kisses, no gentle embraces, and no moments when he would pull me close just because he wanted to be near me. Sometimes, I wondered if there was something wrong with me.

Was I not attractive enough? Am I not the kind of woman he wanted? I had asked myself those questions countless times. But I never had the courage to ask him directly, because I was afraid of hearing an answer that would completely destroy the little hope I still had.

"Good morning, Ma'am Arabella."

I smiled at our housekeeper as I entered the dining room. "Good morning, Tessa."

"Would you like your usual breakfast?"

"Yes, please. Thank you."

I sat at the dining table and glanced at the empty chair across from me, Nathaniel's seat.

"Has my husband left already?" I asked.

Tessa nodded. "Yes, ma'am. He left early this morning."

"I see."

I lowered my eyes toward the table. "Did he have breakfast?"

"I don't think so, ma'am. He was in a hurry."

Tessa looked at me for a moment before speaking again. "Would you like me to prepare something for you to bring to the office, ma'am?"

I shook my head. "No, thank you. I'll just eat here."

She smiled politely before leaving.

I picked up my spoon and tried to enjoy my breakfast, but somehow, the food didn't taste as good as it used to. After eating, I went upstairs to get ready. I had a few errands to attend to, including checking some documents for a small business project I had been working on.

I wasn't entirely dependent on Nathaniel's money. Before our marriage, I had already been interested in fashion and dreamed of having my own boutique, and Nathaniel knew about it. Although he had never shown much interest, he had agreed when I told him I wanted to pursue it.

At least, that was one thing I was grateful for.

At the Del Fuego Corporate Office, Nathaniel was sitting behind his desk when I arrived. I had decided to bring him lunch because I knew he often skipped meals whenever he was busy.

I smiled at his secretary. "Good morning. Is my husband available?"

The woman looked up from her computer.

"Good morning, Mrs. Del Fuego. Yes, ma'am. He's inside."

"Thank you."

I knocked lightly before opening the door. "Nathaniel?"

He looked up from his laptop, his expression immediately changed when he saw me.

"Arabella? What are you doing here?"

I held up the paper bag in my hand. "I brought you lunch."

He leaned back against his chair. "You didn't have to."

"I know. But I thought you might be hungry."

He glanced at the bag before returning his attention to his laptop. "Just leave it there."

I slowly placed the food on the small table beside his desk. "Did you eat breakfast?"

"Arabella, I'm working."

I stopped moving. "Oh, sorry."

I didn't mean to disturb him. I only wanted to spend a little time with my husband. But apparently, even that was too much to ask. I turned toward the door.

"Are you leaving already?" he asked without looking at me.

I paused. "Yes. I don't want to disturb you."

"Good."

One word, that was all he said. I forced a small smile even though he wasn't looking at me.

"Take care. Don't forget to eat."

I walked out and quietly closed the door. Inside the office, Nathaniel didn't even look up. He simply continued working.

I was about to enter the elevator when I heard a familiar voice.

"Arabella?"

I turned around, and a woman was walking toward me. She was tall, beautiful, and dressed in an expensive cream-colored outfit. Her long hair fell perfectly over her shoulders, and she carried herself with the confidence of someone who was accustomed to receiving attention.

I recognized her, it's Irish. I had heard her name several times before. She was one of the women frequently mentioned in conversations involving Nathaniel. Some people said they were close.

Others claimed she had once been his girlfriend.

But Nathaniel had always dismissed those rumors whenever I asked.

"Hello," she greeted me with a smile.

I returned it politely. "Hi."

"You're Arabella, right? Nathaniel's wife?"

"Yes."

Her eyes briefly moved over me before she smiled again. "I'm Irish."

"I know."

She seemed surprised. "You do?"

I nodded. "Your name has come up before."

She laughed softly. "Well, I suppose it has."

There was something about her smile that made me uncomfortable, although I couldn't explain why. "Are you here to see Nathaniel?" I asked.

"Actually, yes. I brought him something."

She lifted the small shopping bag she was carrying. I glanced at it.

"Oh. I see."

Irish tilted her head. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes. I just brought him lunch."

Her smile widened slightly. "That's sweet of you."

I nodded. "Thank you."

For a few seconds, we stood there in silence.

Then she spoke again. "I hope Nathaniel isn't giving you too much trouble."

I looked at her. "What do you mean?"

She chuckled. "Nothing. You know how busy he gets."

"Yes. I understand."

"Good."

She gave me one final smile before walking toward Nathaniel's office. I watched her disappear behind the door. For some reason, I suddenly felt uneasy. Perhaps I was simply overthinking things, Irish was just a friend, there was nothing to worry about.

I pressed the elevator button and waited. But as the doors opened, one thought remained in my mind. Why did she look so comfortable coming here?

When evening comes I was sitting on the living room sofa when Nathaniel finally came home.

I immediately stood.

"You're home."

He removed his suit jacket and handed it to the housekeeper. "Obviously."

I tried to smile. "How was your day?"

"Busy."

"Did you eat the lunch I brought?"

He glanced at me. "Yes."

I smiled. "That's good."

He walked toward the stairs. "Nathaniel?"

He stopped. "Yes?"

"Can we have dinner together tonight?"

He looked at his watch. "I'm tired, Arabella."

"It won't take long. I just thought—"

"I said I'm tired."

His voice wasn't particularly loud, but it was enough to make me stop talking. I lowered my eyes.

"Alright. Maybe another time."

He continued walking upstairs. I stood there for a few seconds before slowly sitting back down.

Another time, that was what I always told myself.

Maybe tomorrow, next week or someday?

I reached for my phone and opened our messages. My last message to him was still there. But still there's no response. I stared at the screen of my phone before locking it. Sometimes, I wondered whether Nathaniel had ever loved me.

But I quickly pushed the thought away. I didn't want to believe that I had married a man who never wanted me in the first place.