Chapter 5: small voice

Maria had stopped fighting.

At first, she thought it was strength , choosing silence over screaming, detachment over disappointment. But deep down, she knew the truth.

She wasn't strong.

She was just… tired.

The arguments with Daniel had lost their fire. She didn't have the energy to beg him to change anymore. When he ignored her, she ignored him back. When he made careless comments about her mood, she didn't respond.

It wasn't peace.

It was resignation.

Her world had grown smaller. Her home had become a place she merely existed in, not lived. She started staying out longer after work, lingering in places where no one expected anything from her.

It started with small escapes.

A slow walk home instead of taking the bus. An extra cup of coffee at a small café where no one knew her name. Sitting in a library, pretending to read while her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

She wasn't looking for anything.

She just wanted to breathe.

That's where she met him.

The café was small, tucked into the corner of a busy street. Maria had passed by it a hundred times before, but today, she stepped inside, drawn by the soft hum of conversation and the scent of freshly brewed coffee.

She ordered her drink and found a table by the window, watching the world move outside. It was nice, being here alone. No expectations. No obligations.

Just quiet.

Then, someone spoke.

"You look like you're running away from something."

Maria blinked, turning to the voice. A man sat at the table next to hers, stirring his coffee absentmindedly.

Blonde hair, green eyes …. A strong eye gaze on Maria.

He was casual. Effortlessly confident in a way that made it clear he was used to talking to strangers.

"Excuse me?" she asked, startled.

He smirked, leaning back. "You've been staring out that window for fifteen minutes like you're expecting someone to come drag you back home."

Maria hesitated, her fingers tightening around her cup. "I like watching people."

"Sure," he said, amusement flickering in his eyes. "But you're not watching. You're thinking."

Maria wasn't sure why, but the words hit something deep inside her.

Because he was right.

She wasn't watching. She was imagining. Wondering what it felt like to be those people outside, the ones who looked like they belonged to themselves.

The man tilted his head. "Want to talk about it?"

Maria almost laughed. A stranger? Asking her to talk?

But maybe that was the point.

He didn't know her. He wouldn't tell her she was overreacting. He wouldn't call her foolish or remind her of her responsibilities.

And for the first time in a long time, someone was asking.

She studied him. He was handsome, in a careless kind of way …messy hair, sharp eyes, a grin that was too practiced to be innocent.

A man who was used to playing games.

She should have ignored him.

Instead, she said, "I'm married."

The words felt strange, almost like she was reminding herself more than telling him, as if she strangely realized that earlier .

The man didn't look surprised. "I figured."

Maria frowned. "How?"

He shrugged. "You have that look, and the ring on your finger ."

"What look?"

"The one people get when they're trapped."

Maria's stomach tightened.

She should have been offended.

Instead, she felt seen.

For the first time in years, she felt like someone had looked at her and actually noticed.

And that scared her.

She picked up her coffee, as if the conversation was over. "I should go."

He didn't stop her. He just gave her a knowing smile. "See you around."

Maria hesitated, then finally asked, "What's your name?"

"Alex."

Simple. Casual. Like this was nothing to him.

Maria nodded, standing up. She walked toward the door, but before she stepped outside, she glanced back.

Alex was already looking at her.

And the worst part?

She wanted to see him again.

......….

Maria sat alone in the quiet of her small world, the weight of her choices pressing against her chest. For so long, she had measured her worth by what she endured, by how much she could fix, by how well she could hold together a life that seemed determined to break her. But what if she had been looking at it all wrong?

Maybe change didn't have to come from running away. Maybe, just maybe, she needed to change herself first , her thoughts, her expectations, the way she saw her own strength. She had spent so much time believing she was trapped, but what if the real prison was in her mind?

And Daniel…

She had resented him for his immaturity, his lack of responsibility, his refusal to grow. But had she ever truly given him the chance to? Maybe he wasn't the only one who needed fixing. Maybe she needed to let go of the version of him she had built in her mind and see him for who he really was …..flawed, yes, but perhaps still capable of becoming better.

For the first time in a long time, Maria considered the possibility that leaving wasn't the only way forward. Perhaps, before making any decisions, she needed to first fix the way she saw herself.