10

I woke up later than usual, finding that Ivan had already left our bed. It had been nearly dawn when I drifted off to sleep, and I hadn't noticed him getting up.

After a refreshing shower, I left our room with a smile gracing my lips, but it quickly faded upon seeing the scene before me. Maureen was here! She and Ivan were sitting together on the couch.

It was already past nine, so my in-laws had left, and Ivan's siblings had also gone to work. I watched the two of them for a moment; Ivan was smiling, and Maureen was talking non-stop. Whenever they laughed, Maureen would hug him, and Ivan would put his arm around her.

Once again, I was seized by a sudden, profound ache in my chest. I had hoped to become emotionally numb, yet it appeared impossible. The pain was still very real. Uncertainty gripped me, unsure whether to make my way to the kitchen and feign ignorance or retreat to the room and wait for Maureen to leave.

Why does this woman persist in constricting my world?

It's not