Grace's Fashionable Women Social Club

Episode 5 Part 2: A Chance Encounter in the Streets

As the night deepened, Emily and Albert retreated to their matrimonial room. The warmth of the dinner had faded, and a tense silence hung in the air. Emily moved to the vanity, slowly removing her jewellery, her mind swirling with thoughts of the day's events. She hadn't anticipated Albert's subtle suspicions during dinner, and now, she could feel the weight of unspoken frustrations hanging between them.Albert, sitting on the edge of the bed, finally broke the silence. "Emily, we need to talk." His voice was low, but there was a sharpness to it.Emily glanced at him in the mirror, sensing the brewing storm. "About what?" she asked coolly, though she knew where this was heading."You're never home anymore," Albert said, his tone harsher than he intended. "You're always running off somewhere with Agatha or Beatrice, doing God knows what. You're my wife, Emily. You should be here, taking care of this household, taking care of our son."Emily stiffened, her back still turned to him. "I'm not neglecting my duties, Albert. I'm doing what's necessary, for our family and for myself. You don't even understand—"He cut her off, standing up abruptly. "Necessary? Since when is it necessary for a woman to be gallivanting around town like a man? You have responsibilities here, Emily. You're acting like some free spirit when you should be—" "What?" Emily interrupted, her voice rising. "What should I be? Chained to this house? Is that what you want? A wife who does nothing but clean and cook and obey?"Albert's face darkened. "Yes, maybe that's exactly what you should be doing. You're my wife. Women belong in the home, not out in the streets pretending to be men. This is your place, Emily, right here, in this house, in this kitchen. That's where women belong."The words hung heavy in the room, the sexist remark cutting through Emily like a knife. She stared at him, disbelief and anger swirling in her chest. The silence was deafening. Albert's face softened almost immediately, as though he realized too late what he had said."Emily," he began, his tone regretful. "I didn't mean that—"But it was too late. Emily turned away from him, swallowing the hurt that had lodged in her throat. "No, Albert," she whispered, her voice shaky but steady. "You meant every word. I see now who I married. I thought I knew, but I didn't."Albert tried to step closer, reaching out to her, but Emily moved away. "Emily, I'm sorry. I was angry—""I don't care," she cut him off, her voice cold now. "You've shown me what you truly believe. That I'm nothing more than a servant to you, a piece of property. Well, I'm not. I never have been."They stood in the room, divided by a gulf of words that could not be taken back. Albert, defeated and ashamed, returned to his side of the bed. Emily, still furious, lay down without another word, her back turned to him.They both fell into an uneasy silence, the argument replaying in their minds. But the damage was done. The trust that had been fractured between them lingered in the room as they drifted off to a restless sleep, worlds apart from each other despite sharing the same bed.