Chapter 1 – The Early Dreams

Daisy was only twenty-three when she married George. She was a simple young woman with big hopes in her heart. She believed that marriage was the start of a new life, full of love and respect. She thought George would be her best friend, her safe place, her partner in everything. On the wedding night, she whispered to herself, “Now I will never be alone. He will stand by me. He will love me.” She smiled as she looked at George and felt proud to call him her husband.

At first, she tried to see only the good in him. He was tall, he was respected in the family, and he spoke with confidence. Daisy thought, “He will protect me. He will care for me. I will build my life with him.” But slowly, very slowly, she started to see another side of George. He was not patient. He wanted things done his way. When Daisy made a small mistake, instead of guiding her with kindness, he scolded her. “Why can’t you do even this much right?” he said one day when the tea was not hot enough. Daisy stood quietly, her eyes filling with tears. She told herself, “It is only one time. Maybe he is tired. Tomorrow will be better.”

But it did not stop at one time.

George spoke with a sharp tongue. If Daisy cooked late, he shouted. If she tried to explain something, he laughed and said, “You don’t understand anything.” Daisy’s heart was gentle. Every word felt like a cut. Still, she kept silent. She thought, “All marriages have problems. A good wife must stay calm. I will not answer back. If I stay patient, he will change.” She was young and she believed that love could fix everything.

Days turned into months, and months into years. Daisy kept giving. She gave her time, her energy, her smile, her care. She ironed his shirts, cooked his meals, cleaned his house, and stayed ready to serve him. But George never once said thank you. Instead, he expected more. He said, “This is your duty. Don’t expect praise.” Daisy looked at him with wet eyes and whispered in her mind, “But a wife also needs love. A wife also needs respect.”

One evening, Daisy tried to share her feelings. She said softly, “George, sometimes I feel lonely. I want to talk to you. Can we sit together for a while?” George put down his newspaper and frowned. “Stop talking nonsense. I work all day. Don’t disturb me with silly talk.” Daisy’s lips trembled, but she stayed quiet. She turned away so he would not see her tears. That night, she cried into her pillow. She whispered to herself, “Maybe tomorrow he will be kind. Maybe tomorrow he will see my heart.”

Daisy’s family and friends often asked, “Are you happy, Daisy? How is your marriage?” She always smiled and said, “I’m happy. George takes care of me.” Inside, she knew it was not true. But she wanted to save her marriage. She thought, “If I tell them my pain, they will say I am weak. They will say I cannot handle my husband.” So she stayed silent, hiding her wounds behind a smile.

As the years passed, Daisy noticed something that cut her even deeper. George liked to talk with other women. At family gatherings, he laughed with them, asked them questions, and gave them attention. But when Daisy tried to talk to him, he pushed her away with a cold face. She thought bitterly, “He can speak kindly to others, but not to me. Why am I invisible to him?”

Money also became a reason for pain. George kept all the money in his hands. He spent on himself without asking — new clothes, new shoes, dinners with friends. But when Daisy asked for a small amount, he said, “Why do you need it? I manage everything.” Daisy felt like a child begging for her own life. She wanted to buy a book once, but she stopped herself. She thought, “He will only shout again. Better I stay quiet.” This financial control crushed her spirit. She whispered in her heart, “I am his wife, not his servant. Why am I treated like this?”

One day, Daisy prepared dinner with care. She wanted to make George happy. She placed the food on the table and waited. George came home late. He sat down and ate silently. He did not even look at her. Daisy waited for one kind word. Just one. But when she asked, “Do you like the food?” he said, “Don’t talk while I’m eating. Just sit quietly.” That night, Daisy held her chest as if her heart would break. She asked herself, “Is this my marriage? Is this love?”

But Daisy did not give up. She told herself every day, “I must try harder. I must keep my home together.” She gave up her hobbies. She stopped meeting her old friends. She thought, “If I sacrifice everything, maybe he will see me. Maybe he will love me.” But George never changed. Instead, he became colder. Daisy grew older, and her tears grew heavier.

Her daughter Anna once called and said, “Mom, you sound tired. Are you okay?” Daisy smiled and lied, “I’m fine, dear. Don’t worry.” She wanted to protect her children from the truth. Her son Michael said, “Mom, why don’t you come live with me for some time?” Daisy only said, “Not now, maybe later.” In her heart, she thought, “How can I tell them that their father has never given me peace? How can I tell them that their mother is only a shadow in her own house?”

Daisy carried these wounds in silence. She still hoped every morning that something would change. But every night, she went to bed with tears on her face.

Her early dreams were dying slowly. What started as love had turned into pain. What started as hope had turned into silence. What started as a promise had turned into a prison.

Daisy whispered to herself one night, “How long can I go on like this? How long can I live without respect? How long can I live without love?”

She did not know then, but the answer would come soon.