Chapter 3 ~ A joke

“What did you say to Joyce?” The door opened roughly, and Silas stepped in, his eyes already looking ready to pounce. 

“She just came to me in tears. She was worried about you, and you insulted her? What is wrong with you, Dahlia?”

Dahlia, who thought she could finally get some rest and had just swallowed two cold tablets, rolled her eyes at her husband’s outburst. 

“With how you came barging in here, one would think Joyce was your wife and not me.” Dahlia scoffed, but it only made Silas angrier. To him, she was just being unreasonable and picking on Joyce. 

“She was worried about you; she couldn’t even eat this morning until she knew you were safe,” Silas snapped. “And yet you threatened her in return? Do you know how unreasonable you were?”

For a moment, Dahlia almost laughed. Even sick, even after everything, he had arrived not to ask how she was, but to defend Joyce.

“Are you sure I made her cry and not that her tears fell because her eyelids are too fragile to keep the water in her eyes?” Dahlia mocked.

“This isn’t funny. Why are you being like this? Joyce is nothing but kind to you!” Silas ran a frustrated hand through his hair, as if his wife were being unreasonable. 

He sighed and sat on the bed, then took her hand, only to find it burning up. Dahlia pulled her hand away, making Silas frown in concern, 

“You’re burning up.” His hand hovered near her forehead before resting there. “You’re sick. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Dahlia laughed and slapped his hand away, “What difference would it make?”

“Why are you sick?” he pressed, ignoring how hostile she was towards him.

Dahlia turned her head toward him with her eyes calm in a way that made his chest tighten. 

“Fortunately,” she said in a quiet tone, “You drove Joyce home first last night.”

Silas frowned. “What are you talking about?”

She smiled sweetly as she responded,  “If Joyce had been the one who was left alone on a rainy and snowy mountain road all night, she would have been in the ICU right now. Seeing how fragile she is and all.”

Silas froze, and his heart limped at those words. Guilt crossed his handsome features as he moved closer, taking Dahlia’s hand in his, 

“All night?” he asked, disbelief creeping into his voice. “You… you stayed there all night?” 

“Was it rocket science for you to figure out I wasn’t home all night?” She challenged, but the way Silas avoided her gaze told her all she needed to know. 

He must have stayed the whole night with Joyce, taking care of her and making sure she was comfortable while she froze to death on a mountain road. ‘Life was truly cruel, and it was true what they said: you can’t make a man love you. If you don’t have his heart, then you don’t!’ Dahlia mused. 

She finally met his eyes, a cold smile stretching her lips. “Would you have come back had you known I was still there?”

Silas felt his chest tighten like someone was squeezing him, making it uncomfortable to breathe. For some reason, he felt like Dahlia looked at him differently, and he didn’t like it.

  “I’m sorry, babe,” he said quickly. “I didn’t know. I swear, it will never happen again. I promise you.”

The word ‘promise’ hung between them, a word that meant so much had lost its meaning over the years. She had heard it so many times, only for him to break his word over and over again. It was only a matter of time before he left her hanging again, but next time, she would be ready because, for once, she finally accepted that the man she thought would grow to love her felt nothing for her at all. 

“I’m sleepy,” she said, turning away. “Please leave.”

“Dahlia…”

“I said I’m tired.” Dahlia cut him off. Silas felt like he had been slapped and stabbed in the chest. Dahlia always loved seeing him. In the past, she would make up all excuses just so he could stay longer by her side, and now she wanted him out of her sight? What changed?

Taking a deep breath, he nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind him. 

The sound of a soft knock woke Dahlia from her sleep. She sat up with sleepy eyes as a servant entered carrying a tray of dinner and a velvet box.

“Mr. Scott asked us to make you your favourite soup and give it to you.” The servant said as she carefully placed the tray on the side table and grabbed the box, so Dahlia could open it. 

 Inside it lay a delicate diamond necklace, something she would never wear. Dahlia liked simple things and not shiny diamonds that almost blinded you as you looked. She only wore such jewelry to please Silas. But since she didn’t give a shit about him anymore, there was no use to keep pretending. 

“Mr. Scott bought this for you,” the maid said with a smile, trying to sound cheerful. “He really loves you the most, Madam.”

‘The most?’ Dahlia laughed. Even the maids knew the marriage had three people in it, and she was the joke. 

Seeing how she wasn't amused by the gift and her outburst, the servant quickly bowed and rushed out of the room, closing the door behind her. 

Dahlia looked at the necklace again, closed the box, and threw it in a box of things she didn’t need.