Setelah Dua Belas Tahun Pernikahan

“I will not share the same room with you!” shouted Joshua. He pushed his small wife down the small flight of stairs.

Emily reaching the bottom of the stairs was panting for air. She was trying to focus her visions as they were blurred from the fall.  

Joshua walked down the stairs and lifted her head to him, “I will never sleep on the same bed as you! Not before. Not now. Not ever!”

Emily had tears in her eyes. She didn’t understand why he hates her so much. Why does he despise her so much.

Joshua could see the blood on her lips and said, “Good, you’re bleeding again. More bruises and blood from that hideous face of yours.” He pushed her away from him.

Emily’s tears came dripping down her face. How sad it was for him to call her ugly.

Joshua scoffed as he didn’t care if she was crying. He stood up and said, “I want you out of here by tomorrow.”

Emily looked up at Joshua and grabbed onto the sleeve of his pants. She said, “Please, Joshua. I’m sorry. I won’t ask you to stay in the same room with me or… or even share the same bed with me…”

“Humph! As if!” Joshua kicked her away from him.

“Ahh,” cried Emily. Her thick goofy looking glasses fell off of her face. 

Joshua didn’t look at Emily at all. He turned his handsome face away from her.

“Joshua, we been married for three years.”

Joshua flipped his head to her and shouted, “Exactly! You wasted three years of my life! Being shackled to a woman like you! You’re nothing but a poor and low life of a country woman!”

Emily gasped at his hurtful words. She let her tears dropped and said, “Joshua, I love you for so long.”

“I don’t care,” he was huffing out angrily.

“We have known each other for so long.”

“Doesn’t mean I have any feelings for you.”

Emily grabbed hold of her broken wrist and clenched her fist tightly to her chest. “But I do.”

“Well, I don’t!”

“Please, just let time get us to know each other.”

Joshua’s eyes blared angry at her. “Never! I never have and never will!” shouted Joshua. He walked to Emily and tilted her head to him. “I will never love you!”

Emily’s tears shimmer in her blue eyes.

Joshua hated how there was tears in her eyes and tossed her to his side.

Emily landed next to him with a thump. Her messy hair bun was all over her face now. 

Emily crying said, “Joshua, we have known each other for so long. Please, don’t do this to me. At least give me some dignity.”

“Humph! You don’t deserve any! You drugged me. You forced yourself on me. You dragged me into this filthy marriage. You took away my perfect life!” He was breathing heavily by now. “You-You took away the woman I love.”

Emily gasped at his words.

“Get out of here.”

“Joshua, please. I’m your wife.”

Joshu laughed loudly.

Emily was stunned by his laughter.

“Talking about wife,” Joshua looked down at her and said, “From this day forth you and I will not have anything to do with each other again.”

“What?” questioned Emily with confusion.

“You and I will officially be divorce by tonight.”

“Joshua-Joshua. How can you kick me out just over something like this.”

“It’s because I’m tired of you. I’m tired of dealing with you and your need.”

“Joshua, we’ve been married for 3 years. You have never once touched me ever since that day.”

Joshua looked at her with a death stare and he pinched her face to him. “Never! With such low trickery of yours, I will never touch you!”

“Joshua, I’m your wife-”

Joshua tightened his grip on her and squeezed her face. “Don’t think that that excuse will work on me anymore.”

Emily’s tears dripped down her face again.

Joshua smiled at her and said, “Now that my grandfather is dead, there is no one to command me anymore.”

Emily’s eyes widened at his words.

“Where is the divorce paper?” asked Joshua, shouting at his butler.

Emily inhaled sharply.

“Right here,” said Butler Shawn.

“Good.” Joshua let go of her face with a push. He walked over to the butler and took the divorce paper.

Emily looked at Joshua and her tears were dripping down her face. She crawled over to him. Her right hand grabbed onto his leg, while her left broken hand was lifted to her chest. “Joshua, we don’t have to divorce. I will keep my distance. I will just look at you from afar. As long as I get to see your face every day and every night, that is enough for me,” said Emily.

“That’s not good enough,” said Joshua, glaring at Emily.

Emily bit her lower bottom lip. She felt her heart breaking into two. For so many years have she have loved this man. Even when they were little kids, she chased him. Admiring him. Sneaking after him. Like a stalker she followed him everywhere. She did all of that because she yearned for him. She wanted his love. His touch, his embrace, his kisses, and all of him to herself.  

Emily went and did the impossible. She applied to the same high school he did. Her five uncles were furious. Instead of being homeschooled by her talented five uncles she went to chase a teenage boy who didn’t even realize her. She didn’t care that she was scolded by them, for she wanted to be with Joshua. She wanted to be close to him every single day of every single second. That first love, that first heartbeat, she wanted it to be him, always. She wanted Joshua to be hers.

Being their only niece, her five uncles agreed to let her go. They let her attend the school but under their watchful eyes. Emily didn’t mind that her uncles were watching her under surveillance, for as long as they didn’t stop her from being with Joshua she didn’t mind.

Emily studied to get the best grades so she could sit with him in the same class. When given the options she would choose the seat closest to him. She would take sneak peek at him every chance she got. Wanting his attention. Craving for his praises. Yearning for his kind words.

A year went by with little to small interactions with each other. Although Emily was sad, she didn’t let that stop her from pursuing him. She will do whatever she can to get his love by slowly opening up herself to him. For in her heart, she knew that it was him she loved. He was the only person who made her unable to breathe. He was the person who made her speechless. Made her anxious, made her heartbeat rapidly, and made her heart melt every time she sees him.

Even though their encounters was not as often or as good as when they were younger, she didn't mind. It's the little things that they did together that was enough for her. Such as him helping her grab her notebooks when it fell onto the ground, or getting her pencil sharpened for her, those were good enough for her. Or like when they ran the marathon, and she couldn’t continue anymore, and his words of encouragement was enough to keep her going. She was able to win the race due to his kind words. To her that was enough. It was enough that he cared for her, and he wouldn’t hurt her.  Every small details like that was precious to her. Precious memories she kept locked inside of her heart.