Chapter 3 – When Silence Became Her Voice

Days kept passing, and Emma slowly stopped talking. She used to speak a lot before, but now her words stayed inside her. Daniel’s silence had taught her how to hide her feelings. When he came home, she smiled and said only, “Hi.” If he didn’t reply, she stayed quiet. She was tired of asking why he had changed. She was tired of hearing, “You think too much.”

One morning, she made his breakfast and placed it on the table. He didn’t even look at her. He just took his phone, checked his emails, and walked away. She watched him leave and whispered to herself, “Goodbye.” That one word was not for the day. It was for the woman she used to be.

She had stopped expecting love. She no longer waited for messages or smiles. When her friends asked, “How are you?” she always said, “I’m fine.” She had learned how to wear a fake smile. Inside, she felt like she was disappearing.

Sometimes she talked to herself quietly. “Maybe I did something wrong,” she said. “Maybe I asked for too much.” But deep down she knew she only wanted love. She wanted peace, not gifts. She wanted a kind word, not silence.

Daniel was too busy with his life. He had work, friends, and plans. Emma only had hope. She prayed every night before sleeping. “God,” she whispered, “I don’t want to lose him, but I don’t want to lose myself either.”

One evening, she tried to talk again. She said gently, “Daniel, we used to be happy once. What happened to us?” He looked at her and said, “Emma, please, not again.” She felt a sharp pain inside her heart. She smiled and said, “It’s okay. Forget it.” That was the moment she decided not to ask again.

She became silent, but her silence spoke louder than any words. Daniel didn’t notice it. He thought she was fine. But she was breaking inside every day. She stopped dressing up. She stopped calling her family often. She just moved through the days like a shadow.

Her neighbor, Mrs. Turner, came to visit her one afternoon. “You look weak,” she said kindly. Emma smiled and said, “Just a little tired.” Mrs. Turner said, “You work too much. You should take care of yourself.” Emma only nodded. She couldn’t tell anyone that her tiredness was not from work—it was from loneliness.

Weeks passed. One evening, she went to Daniel’s office party. She didn’t want to go, but he said, “It will look bad if you stay home.” She got ready quietly. At the party, Daniel was surrounded by people. He laughed, joked, and looked happy. Emma stood alone near the corner, watching him. One woman touched his arm while talking. He didn’t move away. Emma felt her throat tighten.

When they reached home, she said softly, “You were talking to that woman for a long time.” He said coldly, “She’s just a friend.” Emma said, “I wish you talked to me like that sometimes.” He replied, “You’re making a scene.” She stayed quiet after that. But inside, she broke completely.

That night, she sat by the window and thought, I will not cry anymore. He won’t understand my tears. She promised herself to stay calm, to stop chasing his love. If love was meant to return, it would.

From the next morning, Emma changed silently. She still cooked, but she didn’t wait for him to eat. She still smiled, but her eyes stayed empty. Daniel didn’t see the difference. He thought she was fine because she didn’t argue. But she was not fine. She had learned how to survive without his kindness.

She started spending more time alone. She began reading old letters, remembering how sweet he once was. She looked at those letters and whispered, “Where did you go, Daniel? Where is the man who wrote these words?” There was no answer. Only silence.

Her silence now had meaning. It was not weak anymore. It was her way of saying, “I’m still here, but I’m tired.”

One night, when Daniel shouted about a small thing, she didn’t reply. He stopped and looked at her. “Why don’t you talk?” he asked. She said quietly, “Because you never listen.” He looked surprised. It was the first time she had said something so clear. She stood up and walked away. He watched her go, but didn’t stop her.

That was the moment her silence became her strength. She decided she would not beg for love. She would not cry for attention. She would love him, but she would also love herself.

Still, her heart whispered a small prayer every night: “Maybe one day, he will understand. Maybe one day, he will see me again.”

She didn’t know that the day she was praying for was coming soon, and it would change everything.