Love In Silhouette

❇「Chapter 19」❇

"Did anything happen to you?" Seyi's skeptical voice rang through from the speaker.

"No, nothing happened. Why do you ask?" I frowned in thought.

"You're sounding cheery...like happy."

"Am I not supposed to sound happy?" I snorted in amusement as I picked through the bowl of strawberries and selected another.

"Well, I didn't say that…it's just that you haven't sounded this happy since you got married." I heard her chuckle on the other end. Smiling, I lifted the bowl of strawberries and transported them to the other side of the table in order to male way for the electric blender.

"Oh well, I met a new friend." I supplied cautiously as I popped the strawberries into the blender jug one by one.

"Ehen! I knew there had to be something. Wait…is it a guy?" Her voice suddenly dropped. I stopped dropping the strawberries into the jug and caught my breadth as she mentioned that. My thoughts drifted to Asher.

"Oh no Charlie...you can't be. You're cheating?" That word snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Wait...what? Who is cheating?" I wondered aloud.

"Charlie I'm not a kid. You've been miserable since you got married and now you meet a guy friend and you're suddenly cheery. What is going on?"

When I realized her confusion, I couldn't help myself as I began laughing.

"This is not funny Charlie! You went as far as to start cheating on your husband!" The tone of horror in her voice made me laugh even harder.

"Like seriously?" She asked irritatedly and I took the cue as I heaved slowly to a stop. Finally, I spoke.

"Okay, first of all, I'm not cheating. Secondly, the friend I met is a lady...not a guy." I clarified and she went quiet.

"Then why did you hesitate when I asked if it was a guy?" She asked skeptically.

"I remembered something." I replied flatly, the humour sucked from my voice now. I resumed stuffing the blender until I had emptied the bowl of strawberries.

"Ah! Thank God. I was for once thinking you were cheating o." She simpered.

As her words registered in my mind, a sly sounding voice popped in.

So your destiny is to stay here and rot away slowly because you don't want to cheat on a man who doesn't love you? He's probably cheating himself. What's so wrong in your doing so?

I let the words swirl around my mind and slowly they began to make sense.

Why can't I live my life?

"So I don't deserve happiness?" I spoke up, interrupting her rambling immediately and pulling it to a stop.

"Of course you deserve happiness...why are you suddenly asking that question?"

"I'm in a toxic relationship with someone I can't even call my husband. Someone who doesn't care one bit if I'm dead or alive. Isn't it normal to find love somewhere else...with someone who will appreciate me for who I am? Is that too much to ask Seyi?"
Hearing myself, I couldn't even believe the words that were coming out of my mouth.

"I thought we just...I thought you just said..."

"I need an answer Seyi." I bluntly spat.

"You know as much as I do that cheating is wrong."

"It's not about what is right or wrong. Isn't that the popular saying, do what makes you happy?"

"Yes, do what makes you happy, but does cheating make you happy? Isn't it better to get a divorce and know you're no longer married than start cheating especially when he's not even cheating on you."