Eimi sat on the cold floor with her back against the door. She held her knees to her chest. Her eyes were red from crying, and her heart felt heavy like a stone. On the other side of the door, she could hear Marco. He was sitting exactly like her.
The silence was painful. This door had always been there, but tonight, it was the biggest barrier in their relationship. It represented all the lies, the contract, and the secrets they had kept from each other.
"Eimi," Marco's voice came through the wood. It was soft and tired. "Are you still there?"
Eimi didn't want to answer, but she couldn't help it. "Where else would I go, Marco? This is my cage, remember? The contract says I have to stay."
Marco leaned his head back against the hard wood of the door. He could hear Eimi's soft breathing on the other side. He knew he had to explain everything perfectly, or he would lose her forever.
"Eimi, please listen to me," Marco said, his voice cracking with emotion. "You have misunderstood everything about tonight. Yes, I brought Elena here. Yes, I paid her to be close to me. But it was all a stupid, angry plan to make you jealous."
Eimi didn't speak, but she stopped crying. She was listening.
saw you this morning," Marco continued, his hand gripping the carpet. "I saw you at that cafe with that man. I saw you laughing with him. I saw how happy you looked. After the scary morning we had, I thought you would want to be with me. But instead, you were with him."
He let out a long, shaky breath. "I got so jealous, Eimi. I have never felt that kind of madness before. My heart felt like it was being squeezed. I was so mad that I wanted to show you that I could also be with someone else. I wanted to see that same look of jealousy on your face."
Inside the room, Eimi's hand touched the door. She remembered the photo the guard must have taken. She realized Marco had been watching her all along.
But the kiss..." Marco's voice became urgent. "I swear to you, Eimi, I did not know she was going to do that. I was just talking to her to make you watch us. Then, suddenly, she leaned in and kissed my cheek. It happened so fast. I didn't want it. I didn't expect it."
Marco stood up and pressed his forehead against the door. "The moment her lips touched me, I felt sick. I realized that my plan was a mistake. I didn't want Elena's kiss. I only want yours. I did a terrible thing to you because I was hurt, and I am so sorry."
Eimi listened to his words. She could hear the honesty in his voice. She realized that Marco wasn't a perfect "machine" after all. He was a man who made mistakes when he was scared and jealous. He was just as human as she was.
"You really felt that jealous?" Eimi whispered through the door.
"I felt like I was dying, Eimi," Marco replied. "Because I realized that I don't just want a contract wife. I want you. Truly. I don't want to live in this big house if you aren't smiling at me."
The silence that followed was different now. It wasn't a silence of anger, but a silence of forgiveness.
Eimi reached for the lock. Her fingers trembled as she turned the key.
Click.
The door slowly swung open. Marco was standing there, his eyes red and his shirt wrinkled. He looked like he had been through a war. When he saw Eimi standing there, his whole body relaxed.
"Eimi," he breathed.
He didn't wait for her to speak. He stepped into the room and pulled her into his arms, hiding his face in her shoulder. "Don't ever lock me out again," he whispered. "I can handle the rivals and the debt, but I can't handle losing you."
Eimi wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him just as tightly. The door was open, and the "barrier" was finally gone.
Eimi," Marco said, stepping closer. He took her hands in his. His palms were warm, but his fingers were shaking. "I have to say this. I am so sorry. I am sorry for the way I acted, and I am sorry for bringing that girl to our home."
Eimi looked into his eyes. She saw the pain and the honesty there.
I saw you with that man today," Marco continued, his voice low and heavy. "When I saw you laughing with him, I felt a fire in my chest. I misunderstood everything. I thought you were happy because you were away from me. I thought you were looking for a way to leave this marriage."
He gripped her hands a little tighter, but his touch was gentle. "It made me crazy. I did those things with Elena because I was hurting. I wanted to see if you still cared about me. I wanted to see if I could make you feel even a little bit of the pain I was feeling. It was wrong, and I was a fool to doubt you."