I wasn't strong.I wasn't anything when I was around Kerrick except for a lingering shadow.Since the day I had married him, all I had been capable of doing was cowering and shying away from him whenever he was around. On multiple occasions, I had tried to understand him and his strange ways but my strength was always lost under his scrutinizing gaze. With each day that passed it seemed like I wasn't any closer to unraveling him as the day we'd first met and it was tiring because we were living like two strangers under the same roof.I stared over at Kerrick as I watched him meticulously put his things together for work before sighing as he gazed at me for a brief moment before going back to what he was doing.I didn't know why, but it made me heartbroken to know I couldn't do anything to garner his attention. He didn't seem to care about me in any way and as far as I could see, I did not affect his life.I had given up so much for him, gone through so much, and suffered a lot during

"One or two?"I lifted the fruits in my hands, trying to figure out which one had better quality and how many I should take.I shoved them in my cart and continued onto another aisle before I stopped and picked up more things.It was refreshing leaving the house after being locked in for so long, I felt so free I didn't want to return at all.I pushed my cart and gazed along the aisles nostalgic for my father's store but it was better than nothing.I decided early in the morning I was going shopping because I was tired of sitting around bored and the house desperately needed a few things.I left as soon as I was finished cleaning for the morning and went straight to the nearest supermarket.I had to admit I was glad I did because I finally felt free again to think coherently and without looking over my shoulder.My shopping cart stopped when I made it up to the cashier, a thin dark haired girl that reminded me of myself as a teenager.She checked my groceries and I swiped my card acro

Golden sunlight poured through the window at my bedside while I secretly skipped through the pages of Kerrick's photo album.Something had to be in there, something I missed but I wasn't sure what I was looking for, to begin with.In the majority of the photos, he was standing with his father. In another few, a person I suspected to be his mother, besides that nothing crossed the norm.I scratched my head and looked at another picture of him and his mother together.They were exact contrasts.Her face was bright and she was always smiling though it looked a bit forced.Kerrick on the other hand was withdrawn and disinterested."These pictures are old," I whispered under my breath and turned another page. All of them seemed to be taken before Kerrick and his family lived in his father's 'big house'.I closed the album and hid it back where I found it because I felt guilty for going through his personal things.I slowly made my way back downstairs where Kerrick was working since before

"What do you see in him?"I lowered the box I was holding and stared intently at Daniel."What makes him so special that you chose to marry him?""What are you asking?"Our gazes locked for the longest moment and I felt an uneasy feeling in my stomach."You've never done anything in haste or made any risky decisions regardless of what the reasons are. So why him?"My mind went blank for a moment and I searched for words to fill the blankness around me.What was I supposed to say? That wasn't exactly true? I didn't love Kerrick and he didn't love me?"I don't know."He laughed, shattering the tension between us and surprising me."I thought you would say something like that."He ruffled my hair a bit, much to my protest, and an ache formed in my chest when I realized how much I missed being around him."If you're happy with him, I can't complain. I only hope he realizes what an amazing person you are." He practically beamed from ear to ear as he spoke, oblivious to the truth."I know h

"Delancy," The hairs on my skin rose when he said my name. I paled and stared at him dumbfounded but he beamed at me. "I'm not judging you or anything, we all do things for the stuff we want. I'm sure you and I aren't that much different from each other."He pulled my hand and brought me even closer to him, his strong, expensive cologne almost choking me."How do you know?" I muttered, still heavily shocked and confused.Didn't Kerrick say no one else besides us and our fathers knew?Stephen stared contemplatively at me as if he wasn't understanding what I was asking."I'm very close to Mr. Matthau." He simply said."Close?""Yes, very close. I'm one of his most trusted employees and he even treats me like his son.""His son? Kerrick is his son! How can you stand in front of me talking ​this rubbish?""Calm down, I didn't mean it in an offensive way." He said laughing, obviously trying to stir up my emotions. "Though if you do ask anyone here, they would say your father-in-law favors