LOST LOVE

ALONE

Next day

Another morning came quickly. The alarm rang as usual. The clock on the nightstand shows 5:00 a.m. A normal day in Catherine's life with nothing special. She was not expecting anything new.

Catherine slowly opened her eyes. Looking at the other side, she felt disappointed. It was usual, but the same feeling flooded her mind. The side was empty. She sat at the edge of the bed, remembering their golden days. At that time, she had to push him out of the room. He was glued to her. But now he rarely comes home. He didn't come back last night.

Pov of Catherine.

My mind ran fast. My feelings are hard to explain. I am worried about James. His health. I am not selfish. I know it is not easy to be the head of a company. I don't want him to sit with me all the time. But I hope he can at least talk to me when he is home. Like a normal couple. James won't open his mind easily. He endured all the pain alone. If he can't explain anything, how could I know? How can I solve the problem? The office job may be hard for him. He is not explaining it to me because he doesn't want me to get stressed. He is my husband. We have to share happiness and sadness. We made promises together.

I went to the kitchen. It is me and James who are living in this mansion. There was a maid here before. But James fired her. He told me that there was no need for a maid here. It was true. I get satisfaction if I make food by myself.

I prepared breakfast for James. Toast, mushroom, and scrambled egg. He loves it. I decorated the plates and placed them on the table.

James came from upstairs. He is well dressed. I could notice the black mark under his eyes. I am sure he slept late last night. Why is he not focusing on his health? He is making me worried.

"James, have breakfast. " I hoped he would join me.
James's eyes scanned the table. He then glanced at his watch. I know that he is busy.
"No time."I am going, he said, walking to the door without any other words.

"James, you will get hungry if you skip breakfast," I can only say to him. But he never heard my words.
His face showed annoyance. Is he annoyed with me? I can feel a heaviness in my heart.
"Catherine, I am working on a new project with livelihood; it is not as simple as you think. I don't have time to eat or chat with you. Firstly, you have to understand my job and its nature. Whom am I talking to? You know nothing at all," James said to me, or more like to himself.

I was standing there like a statue. I couldn't move. I heard the sound of his car's engine.

The table is filled with his favorite food.
I looked at the breakfast that I had prepared for him. He didn't want this. I lost my appetite too.

I became alone in this big house. This house felt like a haunted place for me. I put the food in the waste bin.
There is nothing special for me to do. So I took my phone and called James. He didn't. Pick up the phone. He might be in a meeting. I know James when he is working. He gives him a hundred percent there. That is one of the things I admire about him. I am lucky to have such a husband.

I went to our wardrobe. I opened the lower drawer. It has an album. It is filled with our photos. Me and James. We were always together. We were friends before we became lovers. Best friends. There was nothing that I didn't know about him. We grew up together.

Our friendship turned to love. It then led to marriage.

BEEP........... BEEP......... BEEP.

My phone suddenly rang. I ran downstairs, hoping it was James. But...

Phone call

Catherine: hello Susan. How are you?
Susan: I am fine. What about you? Is everything alright?
Catherine: good.
Susan, what did the doctor advise?
Catherine: Nothing special. I can stop the medicine.
Susan: That is great news. I called James last night, but he was engaged.
Catherine: He may be talking with his clients.
Susan: He is always busy with these clients.
Catherine: You know this business is not easy. Sometimes it scares me.
Susan: Cat, don't worry. You have to give importance to yourself, and you know I am coming back. This time, I have lots of time to be with you guys.
Catherine: really. But you told me that you were busy. You have to travel around the world.
Susan: Well, Mom asked me to come back, and I rejected it. Now mom assumes that I have a boyfriend.
Catherine: Hahahah. So you are coming back to prove that you don't have any boyfriends.
Susan: What is there to laugh about? I am fed up with mom. A girl can live alone. I want to show it to her.
Catherine: Mom stopped searching for boys for you, Susan.
Susan: seriously. Is it true?
Catherine: yeah. She is now searching for girls for you.
Susan: cat
Catherine: sorry...
Susan: Don't be my girl.
Catherine: So, when will you be here?
Susan: Within two weeks, I will land. Don't say anything with excuses. I want to spend time with you guys.
Catherine: Right. I am free. Now there is no need for medicine or a strict diet.
Susan: great.

We chitchat for a bit and finally hung up the call.

I need to start my daily job. So I walked to the storeroom and took the vacuum cleaner. Going to each room and cleaning it, I felt tired. The fridge has vegetables. I cut them and made a salad with them. Eating food for my body. I forgot when I had my favorite food. I even forgot my favorite food. Life change. My lips curled into a bitter smile. Now I am scared of how my life will be after six or seven years.

It was noon. I took my phone and dialed James's number. If I didn't remind him, he might forget to eat lunch. He had already skipped breakfast.

The number is not reaching. I tried a few more times but still got no answer. So I messaged him,

James, it is already noon. I hope you had your lunch. If not, please have lunch. Give importance to your health too. 🫶🫶
XOXO

I waited for his reply. But it remains unread. I can only wait. After an eternity, he replied,

Yeah

I felt my heart jump. His message gave a new life to my dead body. A word from him was enough for me. I can understand his busy schedule. He has no time to show affection to me. But he cares about it. I need to prepare an evening snack for him.

I ran to the kitchen and started preparing the snacks.
Ouch!!! My finger. I got cut by a sharp knife. But it didn't stop me. I continued with the preparation. It takes hours to prepare his favorites, but I can do this for James and my husband. Finally, it was all done. The dish had a sweet aroma.
I placed this on the table so James could easily have it.

I divert my eyes to the clock. It is already 3.30. I ran to my room hastily. I went to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I wore a purple dress along with Cleopatra. He loves this perfume so much.

I ran downstairs and waited for him to arrive. The feeling was amazing. I'm waiting for my husband. He has not yet returned home, despite the passage of time. I waited patiently for James.

Finally, I heard the sound of his car. I welcomed him with a wide smile.

"James, how was your day?" I asked him. He put the bag on the couch.
Hectic,"  he replied, unbuttoning the coat.
" Oh! It's fine. I have prepared some snacks for you. Come have it, I called him.
He looked at the table.
"Come on," I called again.
He reluctantly sat on the chair. Opening the lid, he took a cookie.
He bit it and hummed.
"How is it? I specifically made it for you. " I smiled at him.
Hmmm," he answered. Not a proper word, but I am happy.
I felt like jumping. His approval made my heart run miles.

I watched him swallow the cookie. But it didn't last long.

James's phone rang, and he went outside. After a few seconds, I heard the tires hitting the gravel. He left, I assumed.

He didn't come that night. I got a message that something urgent had come up: he would be sleeping in his office.

Another alone night in my life.

Please like if you liked the chapter.
Do comment with your opinions.

Support me to continue 😌😌.