They glared at each other, bodies trembling with hurt and rage. “You never listen to what I say!” she screamed furiously. “And you –“ he spit out viciously, “you are a needy woman who has to control and destroy everything that’s good in this world!”

Neither was willing to take the sofa in the living room, so that night they slept turned away from each other in the same bed, resentment towards one other hardened into a solid wall of stubbornness.

The morning was cold. No parting glances, no loving words. As he left for work, he slammed the door. The finality of that gesture left her shivery and tearful. She was breaking inside. At first she had felt anger at his uncaring, unaffected demeanor. A few hours afterwards, all that remained was pride. She loved him. She wanted to say sorry so badly the words formed a hard rock in her chest. But why should she be the simpering fool, always seeking to placate him? No, this time he would apologize first.

Later that night he heard her sniffling to herself in the darkness. He felt his gut clenching in guilt but sullenly kept to his side of the bed. She was manipulating him even now. Let her cry, he thought bitterly. The woman deserved to cry.