XII: Plan Stricken, Promises Broken

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Two days later, I tried on the wedding ring Henry bought me

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Two days later, I tried on the wedding ring Henry bought me. Just as I expected, it was a bit too tight, but at least I could take it off, albeit with a little struggle. Henry watched me silently from the other end of the bed. I felt his gaze on me and I turned my attention to him.

"So you have to watch me put it on too?" I asked him incredulously. The pale man approached me, smiling from ear to ear. He stopped when he was about a metre away from me.

"This ring is tight for a reason, so you won't take it off. That's very important for me," he explained calmly as if he was talking to a child.

"Why is that important to you?" I questioned, even though I already knew the answer. Appearance was everything to Henry Garcia.

"We need to appear like a happy married couple in public. I can't have you ruining our image," he elaborated, and I wanted to throw up. The thought of pretending that were still in love made me sick. Alas, that was what I agreed to. I made a promise and everything.

"Okay, I understand," I sighed.

A beautiful silence came over us. I cherished the moments when I didn't hear his voice. They were pure bliss. I used this moment of silence to rearrange the things on the dresser, half ignoring him.

I was fixing the last perfume bottle when he spoke again. "By the way, we're having a party this weekend. It's just a little get together, nothing special. We could invite some of your relatives along with mine."

A party? We hadn't had one of those in a while, a year to be exact. Last year Henry hosted a party for our eleventh wedding anniversary. He said the same exact thing, that it was only a small get together, but the man had invited the whole of Port of Spain. Ah, those were the days, when I was in love with Henry, when he was just my loving husband instead of a rapist.

"Henry, please don't invite the entire city," I pleaded.

He laughed, "Oh come on, Matilda. Of course, I won't do that."

I nodded. Sure thing.

"What is this party for?" I asked.

"It's for our anniversary," he replied. Confusion buzzed through my brain. Anniversary? This couldn't be. Our anniversary was on the 13th of November. Unless... wait. Henry and I got married two weeks after Anna's death. Oh... oh.

Henry saw my confusion and shook his head in disappointment.

"You forgot our anniversary?" He asked, the disappointment and concealed rage was practically coating his words. Oh God, is he going to hit me. My body shook in fear as I nodded in response to his question. I had to think of an excuse. He'd no trouble breaking his promise.

"I'm sorry. I-it's... just that I've been through a lot for the past week, and I forgot," I squeaked out. God, why was my voice so timid? I needed to lighten up. I couldn't give him the satisfaction of letting him see me like this.

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