The Internet Wife

1. The Facebook AD

Mia Martin is a young widow who was still trying to find her strength to continue and collect the pieces of her life, after losing her loved husband who died suddenly of a heart attack. His death had given her no signs... no indications! He left too soon, too sudden, for her to understand how to control her emotions and thoughts and find her new norm, this however was never seen to anyone around her. She kept a solid face, a head raised while all her grief was well covered.

She thought ever since that nothing will ever be back to the state of norm as she knew it, this state that we fight for years to create and reach!
She was still trying to put together a profile for her CV expressing her beliefs and ideas. She typed few lines about her reasons for seeking new opportunities:
"We study hard, work hard, try to find the best job, find Mr. or Mrs. Perfect, the perfect house, create our imaginary perfect life. Then, and just before getting a little comfortable, when we least expect it. A blow hits and proves there's nothing more unrealistic, shallow and naive than us trying to normalize life. Changing and re-adapting seems the only means of survival"

Mia had many "blows" before, but every time she promised herself to stand stronger.
Knowing that she & her husband won't have kids was a strong "blow" that destroyed her dream to become a mother. Her husband couldn't. She could never let go of him, he was so sad when she managed to cheer him up and convince him that they are a couple and into this equally. Regardless of who can or cannot! She suffered in silence ensuring she wore a happy face always in front of Albert.
Shortly after, she lost her Dad. Her hero. The source of safety and security in her life. She wanted to grief and take her time but stood tall and strong for her mother. She was devastated at the time! Then losing her husband young was the biggest hit. There were many blows for her to keep up and find strength on her own.

She stood having her coffee mug as she looked through the window speaking to herself that day; "do you even realize it's already been three years now since Albert? How many other three years can you afford losing every-time a blow comes? And Mia; Blows will keep coming. You, of all people know that. Already learnt the lesson the hard way".

Her phone beeped, taking her away from her thoughts. It was a Facebook notification on a video she's tagged coming in the "on this day" four years ago; it was a video that Albert, her late husband filmed with his mobile while she was with one of her charity groups on a cold winter night. They were serving soup and toast in the street; while she was singing, everyone joined her. Feeding them food & a bit of joy, she thought. That's when a homeless man with his long white beard looking like a Santa, took her hand and started dancing. Right in the street, she was giggling as the man was spinning her while everyone was laughing and cheering for them.
The guy took her hand and went closer to the camera (her husband) "is that your girlfriend"
Her husband's voice came up: "wife!!! A total lunatic, as you see- but I'm stuck with her"
Old man: oh, come on dude!! How many like her have you seen in your life? Wish there were a handful in the world!"
Mia, laughing: oh, that's so kind. But he's right. I'm making him suffer. He could have been warm at home, watching TV not running after his crazy wife from a shelter to an orphanage. Sorry love"
Husband flipping the camera to his face, teasing and laughing: now guys. I'm making this live, so you stop envying me for her!!! Too bad, I'm crazy about her. I love you Mia!

She remembered that night and teared up. Couple of friends wrote new comments on this old video tagging her saying that they miss him and her. "come back Mia. It will be easier with us around you!" Wrote one of her friends.

She was fighting her sadness at the beginning, but when she figured out that he's not coming back after a full year. She gave up to silence.
That silence where everything happens around you and you are moving like a ghost between shadows. You are not really there. You are hiding in the silence. Liking even its heavy spirits.

Today... For no good reason... No different reason, she woke up and decided to get off the comfort of silence. At least she needs to find a new job and return to charity services. This is one thing that will lift her spirits up; she felt positive about it and smiled. A real smile.
***
Joseph Dalton is another broken man for a totally different set of reasons. 
Sue, his wife, mother of his three amazing children ran away after giving birth to their youngest baby girl. She was always complaining but a bit more recently, that he's not taking care of her when he tried to talk her out of her third plastic surgery after her nose job and cheeks lifting, that she wanted. "you changed. I used to get all the money I wanted for my parties, spa treatments and retreats but now you don't want to provide for me. You don't care for me. How can I stay charming as I've always been? Isn't it enough you insisted we have kids and I'm looking different even after the two body reshaping surgeries??"
Joseph tried to absorb her anger: Sue, I told you I'm crazy about you and I love you more now, that you are the mother of my babies, not only my wife. I will do what you want. I only asked you to reconsider as I worry about you and honest to God your face & body are amazing. You just set me on fire.
Sue screamed at the loudest of her voice: you became mean Joseph Dalton. I hate you. I could have married a much richer man who would have appreciated my beauty.
Joseph couldn't believe his ears at the time, but this was not the last fight of many many more till she took off, taking her jewelry and the 300k she took from him with the excuse of wanting to start a project and fulfill her dreams to become a businesswoman.

Today and as usual, he was in the office drowning himself in work to expand one of their main projects. He has always been a hard-working ambitious businessman, but he found lately his consolation in his success and building up a very strong reputation more than ever.
Joseph's face drew a worried serious look at his dad Donald Dalton the once, a small business owner which Joseph with his dedication expanded and made a huge and powerful construction empire out of it.
Dan came into the office looking furious at his son. His beloved older son followed by David, his five years younger son.
Dan: Again Joseph; again, you slept with a bixxh from the street?? Do you think I will let you destroy yourself and your image in this humiliating way??
Joseph: Dad please. Can you spare me this today? We cannot have the same discussion every other day. I have my needs and I already explained this before. It's only normal, can't you just let this be?!
Dan angrily: no, i cannot. You will marry within a month. I don't care who anymore, but you will marry and have a respectable wife. Then you make love to her as much as you need.
Joseph: Dad, please be reasonable. You know I would never do that. I will not marry again.
Dan: I don't care what you think. I will pick you one, if you don't come up with one yourself. Anyone. But I have to approve of her.
Joseph tried to calm his angry dad: Dad I'm sorry. But I honestly cannot see this happening. Fine. I will try to control whom I sleep with.
Dan was getting more furious: no Joseph. You won't get away with it this time. Every single woman I introduced to you; you didn't like. But this time it's different. You are marrying, not even getting a girlfriend that you dump the following week, like you did before, gaining yourself a terrible reputation!
Joseph: But dad!  They were all bixxhs... And you want me to be married to one??
Dan: I will pick a wife for you. That's final.

Dan left the office furiously while David looked at Joseph's face who was still trying to absorb his dad's anger: he knows i won't do that. Why is he pushing me?
David: Honestly Joseph, this time you went too far. You keep promising him that you will find a woman and you don't. Plus... (winking at his brother). Your reputation is becoming so bad... Joseph, the Dalton's playboy?? He can't take it.
Joseph: David, I'm not getting married. The best is that I will please him by meeting a couple of women and then I will say I didn't like any. And you will support me on this. You better, or I will kill you.
They laughed and David begged him to take it seriously. Maybe... Just maybe!

A week later, Joseph was working on an important project when his dad called him: Joseph, did you check the 30 CVs I sent you? We asked them personal questions during the online screening interview – I only marked a couple with a star; because honestly I think it will be less complicated.
Joseph was getting so annoyed with this getting completely out of proportion: sure dad, will check the ones marked with a star.
Later that evening: he checked the CVs. Was about to close the whole file till a candidate had a real good CV and wrote in the profile part as part of her aspiration:
"We study hard, work hard, try to find the best job, find Mr. or Mrs. Perfect, the perfect house, create our imaginary perfect life. Then, and just before getting a little comfortable, when we least expect it. A blow hits and proves there's nothing more unrealistic, shallow and naive than us trying to normalize life. Changing and re-adapting seems the only means of survival"
Joseph didn't know why these simple words hurt his heart and made him jump standing with huge pain and heaviness closing the file. Isn't that exactly what happened to him? He stood by the window drowning in his thoughts, in deep pain for long.

Just before going back to close his laptop. He scrolled down this file. Automatically he searched her name on Facebook; Mia's video with her husband and the homeless popped-up. His heart cheered at her dancing in the street, her giggles that made everyone laugh in a most contagious way. Then his heart ached when he read, her husband died. That's the blow she meant? Her friends were missing her. She was hiding from the world, they said.

For no good reason he called the detective he hired before and asked him to check Mia. After he hung up, he questioned himself on why he did that!! He even remembered he never did that when Sue took off. Most probably he was too scared to know the truth. He never really wanted to find out.