Chapter 14: The Distance in Silence

The soft glow of the moonlight spilled into the master bedroom, casting long, pale shadows across the floor. The grandeur of the room was undeniable—lavish curtains, the finest linens, and a king-sized bed that symbolized the wealth and status the world envied. But for Alice, it felt like a prison cell.

She lay on one side of the bed, her back turned toward Elliot. The silk sheets were cool against her skin, yet the chill in the air came from the absence of warmth between them. The tension was palpable, the silence stretching endlessly between them.

Elliot sat at the large mahogany desk by the window, papers spread across the surface. His brow was furrowed in concentration, his pen moving swiftly across the documents. A laptop hummed quietly beside him, its screen illuminating the darkened room with a faint glow. He hadn't looked at her once since they had come upstairs.

Their wedding night had passed without so much as a word, and now here they were, sharing a bed but worlds apart.

Alice closed her eyes, trying to will herself to sleep, but her mind refused to quiet. She could hear the faint rustle of papers as Elliot worked, his focus unyielding. It was strange how he could be so close yet feel so distant, as though there was an invisible wall between them that neither of them could cross.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She had imagined something different—anything but this cold, unspoken distance. In the past, Elliot would have been ecstatic to share a bed with her, a lovestruck fool who would have done anything to please her. But now, he barely acknowledged her presence.

She shifted slightly under the covers, the sound of fabric moving catching Elliot's attention for a brief second. He glanced in her direction, his expression unreadable, before returning to his work.

The hours dragged on, and the silence only deepened. Occasionally, Alice could hear Elliot typing or scribbling notes, but there was no attempt at conversation. He had become an enigma to her—a man who had once adored her, now too consumed by his responsibilities to spare her even a glance.

Alice bit her lip, a mix of frustration and guilt welling up inside her. She had done this to them. She had driven him to this place of emotional detachment. And now, no matter how much she regretted it, she couldn't undo what had been done.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she turned slightly, just enough to see Elliot's silhouette in the dim light. He was still working, his attention solely on the task in front of him. His once softer features were now sharper, more defined, the evidence of his transformation visible even in the darkness. His hands moved efficiently, as if work had become his sole purpose, leaving little room for anything else.

She had always hated how much he fawned over her in the past, but now she found herself missing it. She missed the old Elliot—the one who would have dropped everything just to be near her, who would have sacrificed anything for her attention. But that Elliot was gone, and in his place was this cold, calculating man who seemed more machine than human.

With a quiet sigh, Alice closed her eyes again, trying to relax. The weight of their marriage bore down on her like an anchor, dragging her into a sea of uncertainty. She didn't know how to fix this, how to repair the damage she had caused.

As sleep slowly began to take her, she heard Elliot's chair scrape softly against the floor. Her eyes snapped open just as he stood up, stretching his tired limbs before making his way to the bed.

Alice kept her eyes shut, feigning sleep, though her heart raced as he approached. She felt the bed shift slightly as Elliot sat down on the edge, his presence heavy in the room. For a moment, she thought he might say something, perhaps break the silence that had consumed them since the wedding.

But he didn't.

Instead, Elliot lay down on the other side of the bed, his back turned to her, mirroring her earlier position. The space between them might as well have been an ocean, the vast emptiness separating their bodies a reflection of the distance that had grown between their hearts.

Alice's chest tightened, the reality of their marriage settling in. This was what they had become—two people bound by duty, by family expectations, by the weight of their shared name. There was no love here, no affection, no warmth.

Just silence.

Elliot's breathing slowed, evening out as he drifted off to sleep. Alice remained awake, staring into the darkness, her mind racing with thoughts of what could have been, of the choices she had made that led them here.

She had once been repulsed by the idea of marrying him. Now, she found herself yearning for the attention he no longer gave her, the love he had once offered so freely. But it was too late. Elliot had changed—he was no longer the man who had loved her without question. He was something else now, someone who saw this marriage as a transaction, a business deal.

Just as she had once seen it.

And now, she was left lying beside a stranger.

The next morning, Alice awoke to find Elliot already gone. His side of the bed was neatly made, the faint smell of his cologne lingering in the air. He had likely left for his morning meetings, buried once again in the never-ending work that had become his life.

Alice sat up slowly, her heart heavy with the realization that this was her new reality. A marriage of convenience, a partnership based on mutual benefit, not love.

As she got out of bed and made her way to the vanity, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The reflection staring back at her looked tired, worn out by the weight of a life she had never truly wanted.

She ran a hand through her hair, sighing softly.

This was her life now.