When I proposed to Natalie, I believed that our eternal relationship would begin. Rather, it marked the start of a nightmare. It took weeks of betrayal to realize I’d never really known her at all. I dropped to one knee in our living room and felt my heart race. I held up the little velvet box and said, “Natalie, will you marry me?” Her surprised widening eyes softened into a smile. Tears filled her eyes as she exclaimed, “Yes, yes, of course, yeah!” I placed the ring on her finger as she wrapped her arms around me. It gleamed exactly as I had imagined. I got up, and we hugged while dreaming of the future we had always discussed.
It seemed ideal. After two years of dating, it appeared that we had similar goals in life: marriage, a family, and a house. I thought, “We have always been on the same page.” Same ideals, same goals for the future. For the following week, everything was perfect. Everyone was thrilled for us when we told our family. We got to discuss about our future together, making lists, and organizing our wedding. For the following week, everything was perfect. Everyone was thrilled for us when we told our family. We got to discuss about our future together, making lists, and organizing our wedding.
I discovered six women in my kitchen one evening when I got home from work. Confused, I stopped in my tracks. All the gourmet food I had been preserving, such as foreign snacks, expensive cheeses, and caviar, was arranged on the counters. Natalie turned to face me and grinned as if nothing had changed. “Hey, what is up! You have arrived home.” I turned my gaze from her to the women and back again. “Who are these people? I believed I knew every acquaintance of yours. “She merely chuckled. “This is my close circle. I wanted to wait until we were a “sure thing,” therefore I did not introduce them earlier.”
They merely acknowledged me with a nod. My gut knotted as I saw one of them scrape the last bit of caviar onto a cracker. I moved Natalie to the side. “I had that thing reserved for a really special evening. How come you did not ask me first? She dismissed it as insignificant, waving her hand. “David, stop being such a buzzkill. Food is all that. We have more money to spend. “I bit my tongue so as not to provoke a quarrel. She did not appear to care how I felt about it, though, and that disturbed me.
A few days later, the same thing transpired. When I got home, the same women were watching TV and relaxing on the couch. My pricey treats had disappeared even more. I could feel my annoyance mounting. I said nothing till they had departed. “Well, perhaps we can arrange this for the next time? I was not even asked. With a sigh, Natalie rolled her eyes at me. “You really destroy the buzz. I call this place home now, and they are my buddies.” I was at a loss for words. Was I being irrational?
