Tired

Rita got curious about his question. 'A secret?' She wondered.

Richard was starting to not feel good about keeping from his mother the secret about what happened with Adhley. He did not want to keep her in the dark any longer.

"Go ahead. You can tell me anything." She said and leaned in closer to him to hear his so-called secret. "The truth is, hmm, Mother, it..." He stopped and he decided to rethink his decision.

His mother, Brenda, was very close with Adhley and loved her like she was her daughter.

He became worried that his mother would not take the information he was about to share well. What if she leaks it? What if she tells everyone? She is the type that strongly believes in truth, fairness, and justice. If she ended up knowing, she might not be able to keep it and might tell it to the world. What would then happen? He could be killed!

"I do not like Rita too. This whole marriage is all because of Adhley. If it was not her wish, I won't even blink an eye at Rita's way." He lied, changing his mind about telling her the truth about what happened with Adhley and what he and Rita did.

Truly, she was his mother and the chances that she would not tell on him is high but still, he could and would not risk it.

Brenda smiled at him in pity. She could not imagine the stress he was going through having to be with the person that he was not in love with.

"It is okay. One day, no matter how long it takes, you will finally learn to live peacefully with Rita." She reassured him. "Hmm. I hope so." He said, playing his part in making her believe that that was truly the secret that he wanted to tell her.

"So, how about you moving back here?" He asked her after a few seconds of silence.

"No way." She said. "Why?" He asked her in exasperation. They had a conversation about her moving back in but she kept refusing him.

"You know that I do not like Rita one bit. She is always throwing subtle insults at me all the time. You do not know the amount of self-control that I have to muster every time she is around. I do not understand how Adhley became friends with her in the first place." She complained in an annoyed manner.

"So what you are trying to tell me is that you stopped living here because of Rita?" He asked her and in response, Brenda gave him the 'You are not deaf, right?' look.

'That was a stupid question.' He noted to himself.

"Well, if you stopped living here because of Rita then I am sure that you can start living here again because of Golver." He said, beaming and thinking that he just came up with a good reason for her to come back.

"Oh, you know that your son is a very rude one. Spoilt rotten. And as much as I do not tolerate rudeness, I do not have the heart to scold or hit him. It's not even like Rita would let me live if I dare do that." She said.

"And you say he's spoilt." Richard muttered to himself. "Did you say something?" She asked him after hearing him mumble.

"Most definitely not." He quickly denied it.

"Ok. So can you leave now? I need to sleep now." She said as she stood up, bowed, and dragged him off her bed.

He stood up, "Okay mother. I will leave."

He was leaving before he suddenly stopped and looked back at her. "Thank you, mother." He said with a smile on his face.

Brenda nodded at him in reply with a smile on her face as well. He then left. Brenda sighed with a smile still on her face. "Being a mother is so stressful but fun. I did a great job. A very good job." She said as she got into her bed to have a good night's rest.

...

Richard entered his room only to see that Rita was already in bed. He took off his clothes and got on the bed. She had her back facing him.

"Are you already sleeping?" He asked in a gentle tone of voice. When he got no answer, he shifted toward her and tried to touch her. However, before his hand touched her, her voice came out. "Don't you dare try to touch me?" She said sharply as she got up and sat on the bed.

He immediately stopped himself and also sat up. "Look, I am sorry-"

"About what exactly? Is it about when you raised your voice at me or when you tried to hit me?" She faced him and asked angrily. "Everything, Rita." He answered.

She groaned. "I'm tired of all this wi-" "I know." Richard cut her off. "I know that you are tired of how I have been behaving these years but I need you to understand me. I've been having nightmares about Adhley which has recently, thankfully stopped. And now, an incoming war. I am worried if I am doing the right thing or not and now me almost revealing our secret to mother-"

"What!" Rita cut him off by exclaiming. "You did what?! How could you tell your mother our secret, you bloody idiot?! You are such a mother's boy. When exactly will you grow up and be a real man that is not tied to his mother? Huh?!" She ranted, gesticulating wildly.

He stared at her incredulously while she was breathing heavily. "I did not. I almost told her but I did not." He said slowly.

"Oh," Rita said, realizing that she had just overreacted. Her breathing became normal. Richard scoffed. "Look at the way you just insulted me just because you thought I told my mother our secret." He said lowly. He was very sad.

"I do not know anymore. I love you but I don't think you do too. At least it does not feel like it." He was extremely unhappy and was tired of the way she behaves. He stayed in the room for a little bit before getting up, putting his clothes back on and quietly leaving the room. Again.