Chapter 2 — Married to a Stranger

The wedding day passed like a dream I did not want to see. I smiled because people expected it. I stood still because there was no other option. Inside me, everything felt empty. When I sat in the car beside Alex, silence wrapped around us. He did not try to speak. I did not know what to say. My hands rested on my lap, shaking slightly. I kept telling myself to stay calm. I kept telling myself this was real now. This was my life. I watched my family disappear from my sight. My chest felt tight. I wanted to open the door and run back. But I stayed. I whispered inside, This is the choice I made. The road felt long. My heart felt longer. Alex looked straight ahead. His face showed no anger. No joy. Just control. That scared me more than shouting ever could.

When we reached the city, everything felt unfamiliar to me, but I tried not to show it. I followed Alex quietly. Inside the house, a woman greeted us and showed me to a room. She called it my room. That word stayed in my head. My room. Not ours. I sat on the bed alone. My dress felt heavy. My body felt tired. I waited. I did not know what I was waiting for. Fear filled my chest. I heard the door open slowly. Alex stood there. He looked at me. His eyes were serious, but not harsh. I could not read them. I thought something bad would happen. I held my breath. Then he spoke softly. “You are tired,” he said. “You should rest.” That was all. He turned and left. The door closed gently. I sat there, shocked. My heart beat fast. That’s it? I asked myself. I felt confused. I felt relief. I felt fear all at once. That night, I cried quietly until sleep took me.

The next morning, I woke up early. My body felt heavy. For a moment, I forgot where I was. Then memory returned. I felt alone again. I went downstairs. A woman named Miriam spoke to me calmly. She said Alex had already left. She said he always leaves early. I ate alone at a large table. The food was fine, but it felt tasteless. I missed sitting close to my family. I missed noise. I missed feeling needed. Days passed like this. One day became another. I learned his routine without seeing him. He left early. He returned late. We lived under the same roof but not in the same life. I started to wonder if this marriage was only a duty to him. I started questioning my worth. Was I only here because of money? That thought hurt deeply.

One evening, I heard his footsteps and stayed still. My heart wanted to speak, but my voice stayed silent. Another night, I tried to sleep early, but my mind would not rest. Fear and doubt kept visiting me. I spoke to myself quietly. “Be strong,” I said. “You chose this.” Still, tears came. I missed my brothers. I missed being called by my name with warmth. I missed being seen. I began to feel invisible in my own life. That feeling slowly broke something inside me.

Then one night, everything shifted just a little. I was holding a book when Alex walked in unexpectedly. He stopped when he saw me. “Do you like reading?” he asked. His voice was calm. I nodded. “Yes,” I said. “Books help me breathe.” He paused. Then he handed me another book. “You might like this,” he said. Our fingers did not touch. But that moment mattered. It was small, but it felt human. After that, I started leaving food for him. I never asked if he ate it. I only noticed the empty plate in the morning. That silence felt different. It felt noticed.

One night, I finally spoke honestly. I said, “I don’t know how to be a wife like this.” My voice shook. He looked at me for a long moment. Then he said quietly, “I don’t know how to be a husband like this either.” That sentence stayed with me. I realized he was not ignoring me. He was lost too. Two strangers living inside one decision. That night, I slept with a little less fear. A little more understanding.

I started to believe this marriage was not a punishment. It was something unfinished. Something waiting. I did not know where it would lead. But for the first time, I stopped feeling like I was alone inside it.