Chapter 4 – Lonely Nights

Daisy’s life became heavier with time. The chains of control were already cutting her. But nights brought her the deepest pain. Days were hard, but nights were lonelier. The silence of those nights was like a wound that never healed.

George often came home late. Daisy waited for him with food on the table. She kept the plates warm again and again. Hours passed, but he did not come. When he finally walked in, he ate quietly without looking at her. Daisy asked softly, “How was your day?” George pushed the plate away and said, “Stop asking useless questions. Just let me eat.” Daisy lowered her head. She thought, “I only wanted one word from him. Just one word.”

Anniversaries and birthdays passed like ordinary days. On their fortieth anniversary, Daisy spent the whole day cooking his favorite dishes. She wore the dress she had saved for years. She waited with a small smile. George came home late, angry about something at work. He looked at the table and said, “Why are you making all this fuss? It’s just another day.” Daisy’s hands shook. She forced a smile, but when he left the room, she broke down. She whispered to herself, “I am not worth even one thank you.”

Every night was the same story. Daisy sat near him, hoping he would talk. But George opened his newspaper and ignored her. She said once, “George, can we talk for a while? I feel so alone.” George folded the paper and said, “Talk about what? There is nothing to say.” Daisy turned away. Her eyes burned with tears. She thought, “How can a wife live without words? How can a heart live without care?”

Sometimes Daisy tried to start small conversations. “George, do you remember when Michael was little and made us laugh?” He only said, “Stop talking about useless things. Children grow up. That’s life.” Daisy swallowed her pain. She wanted to laugh, to remember, to share. But he closed every door of her heart.

The loneliness began to eat her from inside. Nights that should have been warm felt colder than stone. She lay in bed while George slept beside her. He turned his back and snored. Daisy stared at the ceiling with silent tears. She whispered, “I am not lying beside a husband. I am lying beside a stranger.”

She also remembered the times George chose others over her. At family events, he spoke with other women, laughed with them, praised them. But when Daisy tried to speak, he cut her words. “Be quiet. Don’t say silly things.” She thought bitterly, “He can smile at others, but not at me. He can speak kindly outside, but never at home.”

Money also created lonely nights. George gave nothing to her hands. When she wanted to buy a small gift for Anna’s birthday, she asked, “George, can I have some money for our daughter’s gift?” He frowned. “Why do you need to buy? She already has enough. Don’t waste money.” Daisy’s heart ached. She whispered, “Even a mother cannot buy a gift for her child without begging.” That night she cried silently.

The children felt something. Anna said one day on the phone, “Mom, you sound sad. Please tell me the truth.” Daisy forced a smile and answered, “I’m fine, dear. Don’t worry.” She could not tell her daughter that every night she lived with silence, rejection, and tears. Michael once said, “Mom, do you have everything you need?” Daisy lied again, “Yes, I do.” She thought, “How can I break their hearts with my pain?”

These nights made Daisy weak. Her health began to suffer. Her hands trembled when George shouted. Her eyes looked tired. Still, she cooked, cleaned, and cared. But her heart was empty.

One night, after another argument, George shouted, “You talk too much. You are good for nothing.” Daisy sat alone in the dark after he slept. She looked at her hands and whispered, “These hands raised children. These hands built this home. How can he say they are good for nothing?” Her tears fell without stopping.

Lonely nights taught Daisy the cruel truth. She was married, but she was alone. She had a husband, but not a partner. She lived in a house, but it was not a home. She thought, “How long can I live like this? How long can I carry this silence?”

Her heart had started asking questions she had never dared to ask before. And deep inside, an answer was waiting.