Chapter 5: Confrontation

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The tension between Atasha and Aaron had been building for weeks, simmering just beneath the surface. Atasha had done her best to ignore the emotional distance, the coldness in Aaron's eyes, and the constant presence of Candice lingering over their marriage like a dark cloud. But the more she tried to hold everything together, the more her heart ached under the weight of Aaron's indifference. She couldn't take it anymore.

One evening, after yet another dinner where Aaron had been glued to his phone, likely texting Candice, Atasha found herself unable to contain her frustration any longer. The loneliness had reached a breaking point.

"Aaron, we need to talk," she said, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and desperation.

Aaron barely glanced up from his phone, his thumb still scrolling through messages. "About what?"

"About us. About this marriage." Atasha's words came out firmer now, fueled by the months of hurt and isolation.

Aaron sighed, clearly annoyed, and finally set his phone down, though the lack of genuine interest in his expression made Atasha's heart sink even further. "What do you want me to say, Atasha? We're married. This is how things are."

"No, Aaron, this isn't how things are supposed to be!" she burst out, her voice rising with emotion. "You ignore me. You treat me like I'm invisible. I'm your wife, but it's like I don't even exist in your life. And then there's Candice..."

At the mention of her name, Aaron's expression darkened, but he didn't deny it. "What about her?"

"You're still seeing her," Atasha accused, her voice shaking. "You talk to her more than you talk to me. You're always with her or thinking about her. I hear you on the phone, and I've seen the messages. Don't pretend she's not still a part of your life."

Aaron stood up from the couch, pacing the room, his irritation palpable. "Atasha, Candice is Candice. We've been through a lot together. You knew that going into this marriage."

"Wow!!!" Atasha's voice cracked with disbelief. "She's taht special to you, Aaron. Don't you see how humiliating this is for me? You're married to me, but you're acting like she's still the most important person in your life!"

Aaron stopped pacing and turned to face her, his eyes cold and unforgiving. "Because she is."

The air in the room seemed to vanish, and Atasha felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. She stared at Aaron, barely able to comprehend what he had just said. "What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"To be honet, yes. Candice is still a priority for me," Aaron continued, his tone matter-of-fact, as if he were stating the obvious. "Just because we're married doesn't mean I'm going to stop loving and  caring about her. She's been there for me through everything, and I'm not going to push her aside just because you're insecure."

"Insecure?" Atasha repeated, her voice trembling with a mixture of rage and pain. "Aaron, I'm not insecure. I'm your wife, and I deserve to be treated like one. You're putting her before me, and it's tearing me apart!"

Aaron crossed his arms, his expression hardening. "Look, Atasha, I told you from the beginning that I cannot love you because I love Candice...But you agreed in this marriage set up... This marriage—is for convenience for both of us, for all, of our family but that doesn't mean I owe you my heart. Candice is my past, my present, and even my future. You knew what you were getting into."

Atasha's legs felt weak, and she had to grip the edge of the table to steady herself. His words were like knives, each one slicing through the fragile hope she had clung to. "Why did you marry me, then? If you can't give me even a fraction of what you give her, why did you agree to this? You supposed to disagree"

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