It was late and Martin was not home yet, Aviona was already worried and had kept dialing her husband's number but got no response from him. It was the first time Martin was this late without leaving her any words of his current whereabouts. Unable to sleep, Aviona waited on their room, hoping nothing bad happened to Martin.

Soon, Aviona saw Martin's car approaching their property and when it halted in the front door, she wasted no time and ran to the stairs to welcome him. She found him mounting the fabricated stairs, struggling to keep his balance and was swaying from left to right. He was all drunk and the harsh scent of drink can be smelt from him.

​​

"Darling, what happened?" Aviona rushed to help him. She caught his shoulder and supported him while Martin was about to fall.

"Aviona my wife, my pretty little wife," He smiled at the view of Aviona's face, but his smile didn't make it to his eyes as if his words were all nothing but sarcasm, "Wasn't I so lucky to have you?"

"Darling you had drunk yourself pretty bad tonight," Aviona gently reprimanded him. She didn't put to much attention on Martin's words as she thought the alcohol had already blurred his senses, "Come let me help you up to bed,"

Aviona carefully assisted her husband to their room and helped him settled himself on bed. As soon as Martin felt the soft covers, he immediately grabbed and kissed his wife roughly.

Aviona protested slightly, "Darling you're drunk, you must rest,"

Instead of retreating, Aviona's rejection fired something inside Martin and so he intensely grabbed and locked her again for another rushed kissed.

"Darling, I don't think we have to do it—"

"When I say we do it, we are going to it!" Martin exclaimed unexpectedly, to Aviona's confusion and horror.

"Darling what is happening to you?" Aviona's words bear the expression of total shock and little fear.

"What's happening to me?" Martin retorted with rage, making a tight grip on both of Aviona's hands. "You don't know right? You don't know what's happening to me because you are too busy with that goddam company you made for Melvin!"

"Martin what's wrong with you?" Aviona's face grimaced at Martin's sudden outburst. "You aren't like this"

"Of course, I'm not like this," Martin answered, his eyes flushed so many hidden emotions Aviona never thought was there. "You made me like this! You and Manuel made me feel like this!"

Aviona didn't say anything more but just looked at Martin's messed up face. Everything to her was confusing as she thought all these times, Martin was okay with everything. He came to her promising to wait on the sidelines for her, to wait and just watched Aviona chased all her dreams and yet right now, he was resenting her for doing the things she had been doing even before they were married.

"Martin, Darling calm down," Aviona tried to take control of the situation. Martin was angry because he was drunk and she knew for a fact that tomorrow, he will regret everything he had done tonight, "Rest darling, rest. Let's talk about this in the morning okay?"

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"No more sweet talks from you!" Martin's voice was loud, and it filled the whole room giving chills at Aviona's spine. "Everyone is mocking me because of you and that goddam Lagdameo heir!"

"What are you even talking abou—"

"Manuel's wife gave birth to a son! While my wife refused to give me one!"

"That is not true!" Aviona's voice came a little intense, "We had talked about this already! Did you forget? We agreed to it already!"

"Don't talk back at me!" Martin's drunkenness lost all his rationality and from Aviona's hands, his grip transferred to Aviona's neck, choking her. "You had always been like this to me! You had been acting like you are ahead of me and that I'm nothing but a goddam stupid husband you can always control,"

"Martin I can't breathe..." Aviona struggled, pleading for Martin to let go. She held on to Martin's hand that was on her neck. "Martin…."

Aviona's tears came as she was about to lose her breath. Her tears ran down to her face and travelled down to Martin's hands that was on her neck. Martin felt the droplets and it awoken something inside him. Immediately, he let go of Aviona in a surprised expression, as if he was shock as to how rough he had been to her.

"Cough... cough... cough," Aviona helped herself when Martin let go of her. She gasped for breath and held her aching chest while Martin stared at her, still surprised. However, despite's Martin's retreat, Aviona's tears flowed endlessly.

"Aviona, I'm… I'm…" Martin didn't know what to say. Suddenly he was awakened to whatever had drowned him earlier, the liquor running down to his stem seemed to have been swept away by the sight of Aviona's tearful face.

Martin tried to reach on to her but Aviona showed his hands right away, "Don't… Don't touch me…"

"Darling I didn't mean to hurt you," Martin tried to console her with so much guilt in his eyes, "I'm sorry, I was drunk, and things hadn't been doing well. Darling I'm really sorry,"

Aviona didn't know how to react with it. It was the first time someone laid a hand on her and hurt her like that. What's worst was that, she had experienced such physical harm from her husband, the husband whom she thought would never even hurt her. Martin promised to take care of her on their wedding day and yet, what he did tonight was a complete opposite to what he had promised.

"Aviona Darling…" Martin attempted to reach out to her again but Aviona retreated away. She stared at him with so much hurt and resentment in her eyes. With all the words that Martin had said to her tonight, Aviona knew right then he was just pretending everything was okay with him, but he wasn't genuine with his words.

*

"You should have told me instead of lying to me," Aviona told, her voice was low but full of bitterness, "All these time you made me believe that you are an ever supportive husband, that you are okay with everything that I do, that you are willing to wait for me until I'm ready to give you a child, that.. that..." Aviona couldn't say it anymore as she was ultimately hurt.

"…I'm sorry if I hadn't been a good wife to you, " That was all that she was able to add before she left the room. Aviona knew that everything was somehow her fault, but things came unexpectedly, knocking her heart out hard. She stayed in their guest room that night and cried out to herself, tending to her own hurt, just like how she did when Melvin left her.

For the last ten years, it was the first time she cried for other reasons than Melvin's death.