“I want a divorce”.
“You want what?”
“You heard me, I said I want a divorce”.
“You must be joking Tricia, you cannot want a divorce”.
“And what makes you think that?”
“Because we have a perfect life. I provide for you, you stay happy, is that not what marriage is all about?”
“No! No! Fidel, that is not what marriage is all about. Marriage is timing, marriage is care, marriage is attention, communication, UNDERSTANDING FIDEL”. Tricia responded in a strain.
She continued, “I stay in this house all day, all by myself, I have no company, I have no life! And I have no husband!”
“Wow! Is that how you feel, Tricia?”
“Yes, Fidel, that is undoubtedly how I feel.”
“Hmph!” Fidelise exhaled heavily as he pouted his bearded lips and then chuckled underneath his breath. He questioned again, “You want a divorce?”
Feeling irritated, Tricia strained her words some more, “YES FIDELISE, I TRICIA WANTS A DIVORCE.”
As much as Fidelise wanted to be unbalanced and devastated, he still managed to pull himself together by staying calm, collected and charming.
He knew Tricia was serious because she never calls him Fidelise unless things has spiral out of control. But he wasn't ready to give her the satisfaction of being at her mercy and doing her bidding, so he responded, “You'll get a divorce. Have your lawyers prepare the papers”.
Tricia felt calm, but at the same time, she was troubled because she never expected Fidelise to agree to a divorce. She had always felt he loved her too much and would do anything to save their marriage.
“Well, at least I know how unimportant this marriage is to you. No wonder you treat me the way you do”.
“You cannot win with the emotional blackmail card Tricia, you want a divorce, you shall have one.” Fidelis responded as he grabbed his car keys from the dinning table and exited the house slamming the door.
The moment Fidelise left, Tricia broke down in tears. She cried to her heart's content, after which, she got out her phone and placed a call across to her elder sister whose Husband Fidelise works for.
“Hey baby sist, what's up?”
“Tonia, Fidelise and I are getting a divorce”. Tricia blurted out in a shaky and unclear voice.
There was a long silence as Tricia kept sniffing in-between.
“What happened?” Tonia questioned as she managed to string words after the shocking news.
“Ok it's like this yeah, we were having breakfast, I tried to start up a friendly conversation, but he wasn't paying attention. He was just busy on his phone while he eats. He kept responding uh huh to everything that I say, I needed to get his attention somehow and…."
"And you told him that you want a divorce? Tricia really? A divorce is how you get your husband's attention? Tonia cuts in angrily.
“I just needed him to pay attention to me.” Tricia defended as she broke down in tears.
“Now what would you have me do?” Tonia questioned.
“He said, I should ask my lawyer to prepare the papers, I don't want a divorce Tonia, I just want to be happy with my husband like everyone else”
“You married an ambitious man Tricia,” Tonia took in a deep breath and then continued, “there's nothing about Fidelise now that is different from the Fidelise before, this is who he has been. You can't possibly change him now love”.
“No Tonia, No! I refuse to accept your excuses for him. I did not marry an ambitious man, I married a man with a blind ambition. Your husband is ambitious but yet, he makes himself available for you. You have children but do I have one? No. Why? Because my husband is busy chasing the wind in the guise of a career.”
“How old am I Tricia?” Tonia questioned calmly.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Just please answer these questions, how old am I? How old is Jason? How old is Angel? How long have I been married to my husband?”
“What are you driving at Tonia? I'm really not desiring any question and answer session, out with it already please!”
“Ok, you are using my marriage as an example of what yours should be, but you are forgetting I fought my demons, I had my own rocky boat.
At a point, I gave up on being a mom and was focused on being a wife. I understood my husband and became a part of his life rather than an observer.
We had to go medical, why? Because my husband was hardly ever around. He was travelling, meeting up with investors to build the company and I understood that. You need to understand Fidelise because where he is right now, my husband has been there."
Tonia paused briefly and then continued, "I am 58 years old, and I have been married for 30 years, my eldest son Jason is just 13, Angel is 10. By now my eldest child should have been giving me grandchildren but see me doing school run as a senior citizen." Tonia chuckled, cleared her throat and then concluded.
"It's never easy Tricia and that's what marriage is all about for women. We make sacrifices to calm the home front so the men can remain focus in their pursuit of financial freedom.”
“So what are you saying right now? Do I have to be the sacrificial lamb? My happiness? My peace of mind? What happens to them?” Tricia asked hastenly.
“You are not dumb Tricia, I'm sure you know exactly what I'm saying, I do not have to spell it out for you. You are the captain of your ship and as such, you are in a better position to decide to continue sailing, or abandon ship.”
“I have to run baby, I hope you don't disappoint me.” Tonia ended.
“But….” Before Tricia could utter another word, the line beeped and disconnected.
For the whole of that day, Tricia was lost in thought, she kept on thinking of every word her sister said to her.
She took several trips down memory lane and back, she remembers her childhood at her sister's and how she was her only companion all through the while her husband was away.
Likewise, she felt this was her sister life happening all over again, of which she has been a part of that life.
Not only that, but she remembers how her sister would stay up late working with her husband and giving him something to snack on. Furthermore, she also remembers how her sister would use her spare time to read up stuff online pertaining to her husband's line of business.
Tonia got so versatile and involved in her husband's business that the husband had no choice but to employ her as the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of his business empire.
“If it works for big sist, it should also work for me.” Tricia thought to herself as she brought out her phone and started making research and learning about her husband's role and job specification.
As she researched, she realized what Tonia meant by her husband is ambitious as everything she saw online and more was all what Fidelise was involved in. Even the ones she thought was a waste of time, are all extra layers of attainment for Fidelise if he would want to become a boss of his own someday.
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