Chapter 10

"You know I wouldn't want to disrespect you or anything" Serena rolled her eyes in the vanity mirror after ensuring he couldn't see her as she heard that sentence, he was somewhere to her right behind her and he was not looking straight at the mirror.

She wondered briefly how she had gotten used to the fact that every single insult he doled out to her these days started with that sentence, he seemed to be taking his time as she was sure he was checking her out before he delivered whatever the special was for this evening. "But you look like a tart"

"Well," she thought "That was a new one"

She doubted if he had ever called her a promiscuous woman before, maybe something close but not directly like that. She held on tightly to the hurt that lanced through her and turned to face him with a smile. Her smile slipped when she saw the derisive look he had on his face.

No, she would come out of this unscathed. He wouldn't rattle her confidence. Hadn't she given herself a pep talk to learn how to protect her emotions just that afternoon? She had given herself a talking-to on her way home.

She had told herself that she was giving herself so much grief and in turn, portraying herself like a naggy woman to her husband because she took what he and his mother said to heart. Always.

From now on, there will be no more sensitive Serena, there would only be the smiling supportive wife. The smiling doting daughter-in-law. Nothing they say or do was going to rattle her anymore.

She doubted if there was anything they could say anyway that she had not heard before. That was this afternoon.

Serena realised within a twinkle of an eye that words could be reshaped in different ways, and in different contexts to affect someone. When accompanied with the kind of sneer on her husband's face; well. It could be lethal.

She could almost believe he hated her as she blurted out "Do you hate me, Mathew? Do you wish I was not your wife? Are you wishing that right now?"

So much for not allowing his words to affect me. She thought to herself even as his expression morphed to that "What are you talking about" expression of his right before he denied whatever she had said.

"No, are you crazy? You know I would never hate you. I can never hate you. You are my wife and I love you" he said, albeit reluctantly as his eyes kept sweeping her look from head to toe.

Not the type of look a woman would want from her man though. A look of appreciation. Mathew's look was more like he would like to lock her up somewhere and throw the key away. With him decidedly on the other side of the door.

"Why then would you call me that? Do you know what that means? You are calling me a pro…a whore" she fired at him as she turned fully to face him on the stool. Her voice shook but she didn't care. Not affecting her be damned. She was not going going to sit down here today and take this.

"What exactly is wrong with what I have on? What? This was a gown I got ages ago, a gown which you approved of but I hardly wear because I wasn't really going anywhere" she looked down at her heels "Is it the heels? Do I always have to be on wedges or sandals or even slippers for me to fit your image of me? What exactly is it? This light makeup I had on? A brush of mascara, powder and some lip gloss? Is that what made me a whore to you, Mat?" she shouted not minding the way her chest was heaving by the time she finished.

"My dear, my dear" Mathew said with uncertainty as he wondered what made her so passionate. He thought he had been teaching her well enough to learn to curb her passion. He did not like the way her eyes shone on her face.

No, not the way those ridiculously coloured locks were swinging with each gesture she made. He had to calm her down. He moved to her "Why are you upsetting yourself like this? I…"

"Don't you my dear, my dear me!" Serena said as she jumped up from the stool to face him. She had no idea where the outburst was from and at the moment, she couldn't be bothered to analyse it.

There would be enough time to worry about her actions and their probable consequences later, time was all she had these days anyway. Right now she was enjoying the feeling that was coursing through her.

Even as her heart broke in the face of the impassiveness of the man she had pledged herself to; her blood sang as she raised her hand to stall his outstretched hands "I am your wife, for God's… for fuck's sake!" yes, that sounded better in this kind of situation and she couldn't deny the kick it gave her when she saw the way his eyes widened at the language she used. Deal with it ass… idiot! She thought.

"I am your wife and I am tired of you calling me like you are my father who wanted to pet me, a petulant kid with a bowl of sugar. Don't you dare hold me, you hypocrite!" she shouted when he made a move towards her.

"I can see that you do not want to anyway. It showed in your face just how distasteful you found me. As if that was not enough. You…you called me a pro… a whore! You bastard!" she fired at him, shocked at herself even as tears came to her eyes. She swiped at it angrily with the back of her hand, smearing her mascara and makeup in the process.

Now was not the time to be a crybaby she thought to herself then she realised with elation that for the first time in a long while; the tears that came to her eyes were no tears of anguish, it was tears of anger.

"Are you done?" Mathew asked with his arms folded. She gaped at him and briefly wondered what it would feel like to throw the brush in her hand at his head or something heavier. Something that could rattle his silly brain and make him see her. Not that she would do that anyway. Would she?

"If I treat you like a child, has it occurred to you that it was probably because you are acting like one? Because right now you are acting childish and I would not condone it. Also, look at you" he said derisively as he gave her a once-over.

Serena folded her arms to her body in a petulant stance. So he thought she was childish? Well, she might as well give him childish. "Yes, look at me," she said sarcastically as he raised her head with her chin jutted out and her long red mane swinging behind her "What is wrong with me? I want to know. Since almighty you did not approve"

"Don't be ridiculous" he faltered as he seemed to try to find the right words to explain the fault he found with her. It fell him for a moment that he couldn't pinpoint what the issue was.

He just knew that he didn't like seeing her like that. She was his wife and she should be able to listen to him when he told her something. So he said "Your cloth, the whole get up. It is just not right. You are on heels for god's sake. What if you were asked to carry the baby and you fall over and hurt the baby or yourself?" There! That was a reason.

Serena looked up towards the ceiling as if she was seeking divine interference to help her with her daft husband. Her breast jutted out as it strained against her spandex gown, her flame hair glancing off the forest green material in such captivating contrast.

Mathew realised that he didn't like seeing her like that. No, he didn't not like seeing others see her like that. The event they were attending would be filled with his family but there would be other…

"Can you listen to yourself? Have you ever seen any woman fall over because she had a baby in her arms while she was in heels? We are not such a dimwitted specie as you portrayed us, you know. If you are worried about that, I would sit then, whenever I have your darling nephew or niece or third cousin in my arms. I will sit. My gown? It is not long so you couldn't possibly say I would trip over it. What else?" she asked as he put her hands on her hips.

Mathew was baffled as to why she was talking like that. Didn't he know his wife again? What else, she asked? What made him uncomfortable the most as the ridiculous flamed tresses on her head? That hair was too eye-catching for him "What else? What do you mean what else? Didn't we agree that you would be packing up your hair in a bun?"

"No, you wanted me to dye it brown. I compromised by saying I would pack it in a bun. Well, newsflash, I changed my mind! I see that we finally get to the main point of this issue tonight. My hair!"

"You are not attractive right now, you know. Not with the way you are screeching and shouting like a fishwife. You are not acting as a good wife should. I expect…"

"Good wife, good wife, good wife. I swear if I hear that phrase one more time from anyone I would scream. It is apparent that I would never match up with your image of a good wife. Quit your expectation!" she turned away from him.

She was running out of steam already and she knew that she might look back at this moment and regret her action but at least she let him know most of the things that had been eating her up. That felt good and she was not apologising. No, not today.

Then he said "Whatever this brash attitude was about; I don't care. Just know that you are not going with me to the Sip and See like that. You have to change and pack your hair like a…well" he flung his hand at her.

The anger she thought was leaving her frame reared its head again, she turned to him with a steely glare and said "No, I am not changing a thing"

"Then you are not going with me like that" That should get her in line, he thought.

"Then I would go alone," she said firmly even as she doubted that.

What? Mathew though. Who was this brash woman that seemed to replace his wife just between this morning and now? He threw in the last gauntlet "Then I wouldn't go at all. Have fun explaining to my family why you were there without me"

Serena smiled sweetly as she resolved her mind that she would go without him. That would be another first "Oh, with all pleasure. I will send your regards and inform them of how you suddenly came down with a fever and how you told me as your loving, good wife to come instead" she said with an emphasis on good.

"You wouldn't," he said, unable to hide his surprise.

"Oh, watch me, dear," she said sweetly as he turned to the mirror to continue what she was doing.

Serena's eyes widened and she screeched as she saw her mascara-smeared face in the mirror. She turned to him "Now you got me looking like a ghoul!"

She really did not mean to do it but it seemed like her hand acted on its own as the next second, she saw the comb in her hand hit his forehead with a smack then plopped to the rug soundlessly sitting there at her husband's feet innocently while Mathew held his head with a shout.

"Are you nuts? Why would you throw something at me?"

Serena gaped at him then she stopped herself just as she was about to say sorry. She turned and hurried to the bathroom to wash off her face.

Well, now she really wouldn't have to tell an outright lie. He really would develop a headache. She hit him with her wooden hairbrush after all.

She smiled to herself.

That felt good.