Expressing one’s thoughts

Daphne had yet to have her feathers ruffled by the conversation, and with the same calm and neutral tone, she told Ezra,

"If you want to be married so much, you can marry Theresa."

Ezra was taken aback by how nonnegotiably she acted, as such he started to get angry and frustrated with her. She never looked at him, she never had any emotion of her face and now she comes and says she is sexually frustrated and wants a divorce? Who does she want to sleep with?

At the thought of his wife sleeping with someone, anyone, Ezra lost his calm and his face morphed into one of aggression and hate.

"I am not giving you a divorce and I am not sleeping with my secretary, stop bringing her into this."

Daphne did not believe him, so her answer was prompt, without having to even think much about it. She had thought about having this conversation with him for so long that it was as if she was reading a script.

"Oh, really? You are doing something with her, though. I am not stupid, nor am I blind. So if you keep denying, you can consider this discussion over. Plus, even if you won't give me a divorce, I will just be forced to act against my principles and have a lover, not unlike yourself."

A combination of hate, anger and guilt marred Ezra's face while he gritted out.

"I am a man. I have needs. I did not go that far with Theresa, but it is true that she would sometimes satisfy me with her mouth and hands when I needed to clear my mind and concentrate. You just said you are sexually frustrated, so you must know that being sexually frustrated can impede your judgement. Having a clear head is important when you have thousands of people's livelihood in your hands."

Daphne half-believed him at this point. She was not sure if she should trust him. People lie. But at the same time, he had not lied to her before, so maybe she should give him the benefit of the doubt. If she later found out he was not being honest, she would have already expected it anyway.

Daphne had reached a point where she was no longer afraid of getting emotionally hurt, as she felt like she had been battered by disappointments all her life. She had also realized she was scared of being happy and genuine, because those were foreign concepts to her at this point and they were definitely out of her comfort zone.

Even if Daphne was not wishful for love, she did not want to keep living without sex.

"That still constitutes as cheating, doesn't it?" Daphne's face had never changed until now, she was looking just as indifferent and neutral as always, and since Ezra had lost his cool, he felt resentful over her attitude.

"OK, FINE! But what did you expect me to do after four years of marriage where I did not even get a kiss? Even on our wedding day, you made me kiss your cheek!"

Now Daphne was starting to lose her cool and when she answered, she spoke with spite, but without raising her voice.

"Well then, aren't you supposed to come to me, your wife? When in that situation? But, no! You never even broached the subject with me!"

"What did you want me to do? BEG YOU?" Ezra sounded out, a bit exasperated.

"A conversation for starters would have been fine!"