Love is a two-way street

When she heard the sound of the car engine going far from the house, Gertude couldn’t help but sit on the chair inside the garden.

The tears that she had been holding since earlier finally ran down her cheeks. Her shoulders were going up and down as her sobs turned into a loud cry.

She felt like her heart was going to explode.

It was so painful to see how her husband chose his mistress over her.

“Agatha, why do you need to come back?” She said to herself between her tears. She was okay with the cold treatment of her husband since they got married but it got worse when his childhood friend, Agatha, came back.

She never thought that the two shared a romantic relationship before. Even if she had already seen the news and heard a lot of rumors about them, she just overlooked it. She didn’t want Dane to think that she was keeping an eye on him, especially that she was trying to make their marriage work out.

She was in that kind of state when her phone suddenly rang. She had no intention of answering it until she saw the caller’s name.

“Annie?” She answered in a cracked voice. Annie was her best friend. The woman knew what she really felt for her husband. Even if Annie hadn’t answered yet on the other line, she already bursted in tears.

It was as if she finally had someone who could understand what she was going through.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Her best friend asked with concern in her voice. “Do you want me to come over there?”

But in all of those questions, she could only answer her with a cry. Her heart was so heavy.

“I— I don’t know. I gave my best, Annie,” she finally uttered between the tears that were flowing on her cheeks.

Annie’s eyebrows furrowed as she went near her and rubbed her shoulders.

“Is it Dane?”

Gertrude sniffed as her nose was already stuffy because of crying non-stop since Dane left with Agatha.

She slowly nodded her head as she felt the pain again inside her heart.

“What did I do wrong, Annie? I just fell in love. What’s wrong with that? Why do I have to be in so much pain?”

“You didn’t do wrong, Gertrude. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Maybe, just maybe, things between you and Dane are not really meant to work out.”

“But why? If this love isn’t meant to happen, why do I have to fall deeply in love with him? I thought if we get married, he will eventually learn to love me. I didn’t ask anything in return. I continue to do my best every day. Even if I already felt from the very start that he didn’t like me. He despised me even if I didn’t do anything wrong,” the bitterness couldn’t be hidden on her voice.

Annie was just looking at her as if she couldn’t find the words to say.

Gertrude continued to cry. Was it wrong to dream about her marriage to work out?

Her friend continued to try calming her down.

“So, tell me, what exactly happened this time?” Annie asked when she already stopped crying.

Gertrude heaved a deep sigh.

“He asked for a divorce,” those words almost didn’t come out of her mouth.

“What did you say?”

“What am I supposed to say, Annie? From day one of our marriage, I have done everything I could in order for our relationship to work out. When I married him, I knew that I have to face the reality every day that he didn’t feel anything from me and I am willing to do everything in order for him to fall in love with me. I never said a word that would contradict him. I never questioned him or demanded anything from him. I will cook breakfast for him even if he doesn't eat it. I will wait for him to eat even if he goes straight to bed after work,” she exclaimed. “Am I asking too much? Why does he need to divorce me?”

Annie took a deep breath and looked at Gertrude.

“I understand where you are coming from. I know that even before the marriage that has been arranged by your family and Dane’s family, you are already in love with him. I have been your friend since we were young. I know how much you are in love with him. But, we need to face the reality, Gertrude,” Annie said in a serious tone. “You cannot let him love you if he isn’t really into you. What if he already loves someone else and he was just forced to marry you because of the deal of your families? What if there’s a woman who already owns his heart? I am not saying this because I am siding with him but, my friend, if you are in his shoes what will you feel?”

“But can he give our marriage a chance? Besides that, does he really need to flaunt outside that he has a mistress? Why can’t he think of me even for one second?”

“Gertrude, calm down. I know it hurts but I think you should just accept whatever Dane wanted to happen. It will be worse if you stay in a relationship where you are just the only one who’s making an effort to make it work out. I know you are a smart girl and a sensible one.”

“But, what about our parents? What will they say? How will I explain this to my dad?” She asked one after the other.

“What are you really worried about?”

Gertrude just looked at Annie.

“I know it’s hard but Gertrude, just think of it. Will you let yourself be locked in a marriage where your husband is having fun with another woman? You are beautiful,” Annie said to give her confidence. “You deserve better than him.”

“But I love him.”

“But does he love you? Love is a two-way street, Getrude. It takes two people for a relationship to work. It needs both people to care and both of you should be willing to work it out. And based on everything that you have said to me right now, I do not think that Dane is willing to make any effort to make it work.”