CHOICES - by Vivian Ikhomiya

Chapter 6 I held it together. Barely.My chest felt tight, my eyes burned, and the lump in my throat refused to go away. I stood there in Kelvin's parents' living room, surrounded by the people who were supposed to become my family, yet I'd never felt more alone. Kelvin took a step toward me. "Babe..." I looked at him, unable to believe what I'd just heard. "You think that's okay?" He frowned. "What?" "What just happened." He sighed, as though he was already tired of the conversation. "I already told you. Mum was only trying to help." "There it is again." A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Every single time, Kelvin. Every. Single. Time." He looked genuinely confused. "What does that mean?" "It means every time your mother hurts me, she's 'just trying to help.' Every time she dismisses me, I'm 'overreacting.' Every time Anita speaks for us, somehow she's the one who knows you better." He opened his mouth to answer, but I raised my hand. "No." "Don't interrupt me this time." My voice trembled despite my efforts to stay calm. "I sat here today and watched another woman make decisions about my wedding while your mother kept reminding me that Anita knows you better than I do." I swallowed hard. "And the worst part?" "I kept looking at you." "Hoping you'd say something." "Hoping you'd remind your mother that I'm your fiancée." "Hoping, just once, you'd choose me." Silence. Painful silence. "But you didn't." "You chose her." "As usual." "Baby, that's not what happened." "Then what happened, Kelvin?" "What exactly am I supposed to understand?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "You know how Mum is." "No." I shook my head. "I don't care how your mum is." "I care about how you are." "If this is what marriage with you is going to look like... if every disagreement ends with you taking your mother's side while I'm expected to stay quiet..." I paused, fighting back tears. "...then maybe we're making a mistake." His face changed instantly. "Don't say that." "I mean it." "I cannot spend the rest of my life competing with your mother and Anita for a place in my own marriage." The room had gone completely silent. His father looked away. His mother folded her arms. Anita sat quietly, pretending not to be listening. For one second... I thought Kelvin finally understood. Instead, he sighed. "I just think you need to calm down." Those words shattered whatever hope I had left. I nodded slowly. Without saying another word, I turned and walked upstairs to the guest room where I'd been staying. Behind me, I heard him call my name. "Stella..." I ignored him. He followed me into the room. "What are you doing?" I walked straight to my suitcase and pulled it onto the bed. His eyes widened. "No..." I started folding my clothes. One by one. Carefully. Even though my hands were shaking. "Please don't do this." I kept packing. "We can talk about this." "We've been talking, Kelvin." I zipped my toiletry bag. "You just haven't been listening." He stepped closer and gently reached for my wrist. I pulled away. "I need to leave." "Just for a while." "I can't breathe in this relationship right now." He stood there helplessly as I closed my suitcase. "Please..." His voice was almost a whisper. "I don't want you to go." I looked at him, tears blurring my vision. "I hope one day you realize that asking your wife to constantly understand everyone else while nobody tries to understand her..." I lifted my suitcase. "...isn't love." Without waiting for his response, I walked past him and headed downstairs. Every step felt heavier than the last. The moment I reached the living room, everyone looked up. His mother frowned. "What's all this?" "I'm leaving." She let out an irritated sigh. "Oh, honestly. You're leaving over something this small?" I didn't answer. There was nothing left to say. I walked toward the front door. Kelvin hurried after me. "Baby, please..." He reached for my suitcase. "Don't go." For a brief moment... It looked like he was going to follow me. Then his mother's voice stopped him. "Kelvin." He turned. "Leave her." "She's emotional." "Give her time to calm down." "She'll eventually come around and come back." Kelvin hesitated. I held my breath. Part of me still hoped... Still prayed... That this time, he'd ignore everyone else and choose me. But he didn't. He listened to his mother. I looked at him one last time. Then I walked out of the house. He thought giving me space was the right thing to do. It wasn't. It was the biggest mistake he would ever make.

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