Chapter 1 – Doubt in Old Age

Margaret was seventy two years old. Her husband Henry was seventy four. They lived in Dallas, Texas. To the outside world, they looked like any other old couple. But inside their home, Margaret felt a distance that words could not hide.

Henry spent much of his time with his phone. When Margaret came near, he covered the screen. When someone called him, he smiled, laughed, and spoke for long. But when Margaret tried to talk, his answers were short. He turned his eyes away. He did not look at her the way he once did. Margaret’s heart told her something was wrong. She carried a thought that hurt her every day: maybe Henry was not loyal anymore.

She tried to push the thought away, but it returned again and again. A wife knows when her husband has changed. Margaret knew. His body was near her, but his soul was not with her.

Sometimes she sat in silence and watched him. She wanted to ask, “Henry, do you still love me? Do I still matter to you?” But she did not speak these words. She was afraid of the answer.

It had not always been like this. Long ago, when Margaret was thirty, Henry looked at her with love. His eyes were soft, his voice full of care. He had no money, but he told her, “Margaret, I cannot give you gold. But I can give you myself. I will never leave you.”

Margaret had believed him. She chose Henry even when her rich family said no. She fought with them, left her comfort, and walked into a life of love. She thought loyalty was stronger than money. She thought Henry would always be hers.

Now, in old age, she sat next to him and wondered where that man had gone.

One evening, Margaret tried to talk. She said gently, “Henry, we do not talk like before. You are quiet. You are distant. What is happening?” Henry did not look at her. He said, “You imagine too much. Nothing is wrong.” His words were cold. They hurt more than silence. Margaret turned away with tears in her eyes.

The pain grew deeper on their wedding anniversary. Margaret waited the whole day for Henry to remember. She hoped for a smile, a word, or even a small touch. But he said nothing. He laughed at a message on his phone and gave her no look. In the evening, she whispered, “Do you know what today is?” Henry looked up and asked, “What?” Margaret’s lips shook. She said nothing. Her eyes filled with tears. She thought, the man who once brought me roses in the rain has forgotten my heart.

That night she could not sleep. Henry lay beside her, but Margaret felt alone. Her mind asked again and again, is there someone else?

The following week, Margaret met her old friend Eleanor. Eleanor saw her sad face and asked, “What is wrong, Margaret?” Margaret’s voice broke. She said, “I feel Henry has changed. He hides things from me. He speaks less to me, more to someone else.” Eleanor took her hand and said, “Margaret, maybe he is talking to another woman.”

Her friend’s words cut her deeply. Margaret sat in silence. She did not want to believe it, but her heart already knew. That night she sat awake in the dark. She whispered to herself, “I thought my husband was loyal. But maybe I was wrong.”