Golden Cage

Part 6 : Love Is Never Enough

Trying to Stay Sane

Time passed slowly. Oliver was now three years old, a healthy and lively child who loved to talk and had a remarkable amount of confidence, just like Eggy. Lolita often worried whether Eggy's narcissism had been passed down to Oliver. She worked hard to teach Oliver confidence balanced with humility and to learn to listen to others, not just speak confidently.

Since Oliver's birth, Eggy had returned to his usual self, spewing hurtful words that belittled Lolita and crushed her self-esteem. But he played his game cleverly; he directed all his verbal abuse at Lolita only after getting her to come into their bedroom first. Oliver never heard any of Eggy's harsh words because Eggy was worried that Oliver might defend Lolita and end up hating him in the future. Once again, Eggy was full of manipulative strategies, even with his own child.

Lolita prepared herself to escape from home again. During her pregnancy and the three years since Oliver's birth, she had learned many new things to prepare herself for an independent life. She learned how to sell on online shops, trade stocks and crypto, understand the insurance business, and explore many other things for her own self-reliance. Eggy, of course, was furious when he found out Lolita was selling online. Not because she was too busy to take care of the house, but because he feared Lolita might succeed in becoming independent and no longer depend on him. Eggy tried hard to stop all of Lolita's efforts by working from home more than from the office as he usually does.

Every time Eggy was at home, Lolita became his unpaid personal assistant, always at his beck and call. If she didn't comply, Eggy would unleash a barrage of insults that further shattered her already fragile spirit.

Lolita regularly visited a marriage counsellor that Miranda had found for her, but it hardly helped to dispel all the bitterness she felt. Only a small part of it made her feel able to protect herself, endure, and strive not to lose her sanity.

Some friends tried to pray for her and reminded her to stay in the marriage because of its sacred bond, not to be separated except by death. However, other friends suggested that she leave before she truly lost her mind. Lolita was filled with confusion and vulnerability."

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Deciding to Divorce

One day, as if some evil spirit had passed by, Eggy lost control and shouted extremely harsh words at Lolita in front of his family during New Year's Eve. Eggy's family knew about his strange behaviour, but they chose to stay silent and not get involved in the conflict.

Oliver immediately stood up for his mother and said, 'Dad, why are you yelling at Mom?' Even at three years old, he could already tell right from wrong and was ready to defend his mother, even in front of a crowd.

Lolita quickly went into one of the rooms and began to cry. Olivia followed closely behind her.

"Mom, why don't you just divorce Dad? Are you thinking about me and Oliver? Don't worry, Mom, Oliver and I will be fine. Soon I'll be going to school in Australia. I'll work hard to graduate from high school quickly and find a job while studying there. You can come and join me, and we can live together. Please, Mom, just divorce him. Why keep a marriage like this? You're making me never want to get married. Married life seems terrifying!"

"Mommy is afraid I won't be able to see you and Ollie. Your Dad will probably try to brainwash your brother in every possible way, and Ollie might end up hating me. As for you, Mommy knows you're grown up now and can think for yourself. And no, Olivia, not all marriages are this terrible. Just look at Aunt Miranda; her marriage seems just fine up to now. It was Mommy who made the wrong choice, rushing into things with your father and marrying him too quickly."