Chicago, September 16th 2022, 10:37pm

It was a breezy autumn evening when Jaden returned home from her evening work shift at the hospital. Exhausted, irritable and mostly looking forward to a shag, she entered the dimly lit corridor of her house, slamming the door behind her to indicate that she was home. Not even bothering to give her a husband a welcoming hello, she headed straight up the stairs to their shared bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Jaden's husband Leo, let out a soft sigh as he reached for the TV remote situated on the arm of the sofa, and switched the TV off before lifting himself off of the sofa.
Not even a 'Hi honey, how was your day today? How's the kids been? He thought with mild irritation, though reminding himself that he shouldn't be surprised by this behaviour coming from his wife anymore. It was becoming a regular occurrence nowadays that Jaden goes straight to their bedroom without any of the nice formalities that most couples share after a long hard day's work.
Turning the corner, Leo headed into the kitchen, and grabbed the still hot meal that he had made for his wife, and walked up the stairs to their bedroom.

What Leo saw before him as he pushed the door open made him roll his eyes in mock amazement. He didn't even realise at first that his wife was naked before him until his eyes travelled to the crumpled clothes on the floor at the foot of the bed.
Well, that certainly didn't take her very long. Leo thought with slight amusement, the thought now only occurring in his head that just the bare sight of his wife standing before him completely naked didn't even arouse him, as this was a regular act, and not exactly something shared between them just for the intimate moments.

Her attention caught by the sound of the creaking bedroom door, Jaden glanced over her shoulder at her husband, standing in the doorway, his silhouette slightly outlined by the dim lighting behind him. Her eyes then travelled to the plate of food held out in his hand to her.
She breathed a tired sigh before turning her head away from him. "I'm not in the mood for food. Sorry." She said, feeling slightly guilty, knowing that her husband had taken the time and effort to cook her something for when she got home.

Leo frowned at her response, completely missed by Jaden as his wife turned away from him. "Are you feeling alright, Jay?" He took a step closer to her, which caused her to turn around, as Leo reached his hand out to her in an effort to comfort his wife, who clearly had something on her mind that she wasn't willing to share.
Jaden's first response to this kind gesture was a nasty chuckle, slapping his hand away from him in the process. The disappointment on Leo's face was evident, clearly hurt by the fact that instead of taking in his comfort like a sort of security blanket, that instead her answer to his thoughtfulness resorted to light violence.

Jaden shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "I'm…fine. Just tired is all," she paused for a few seconds before a thought sprung to mind, "I assume the kids are in bed?" She asked, to which Leo nodded in confirmation.

"Indeed, they are. It took them a while for them to actually get to bed though. Your cousin decided it would be a good idea for them to sit through a mini Disney movie marathon." Leo chuckled more to himself than to Jaden before continuing on. "In fact, you were quite lucky you arrived home when you did, otherwise you'd have to sit through and watch Frozen with us."

Jaden groaned, expressing her disgust with her two children's awful movie tastes. As much as she loved the two little mites, she had to admit that their choice of movies did grind her gears at times. Especially if she was subjected to watching Frozen two, maybe three times a day.
"For once in my life, I'm glad that I did almost lose my job. That dreadful meeting might have even saved my sanity."

"Assuming of course you even have any left." Leo muttered half to himself. As much as he wanted to avoid the subject of his wife losing her job, he knew he had to play the supportive husband role and go along with it. So, gritting his teeth and baring it, he attempted to speak his following question calmly. "What do you mean 'almost losing your job?' What did you do this time?" Leo said, trying to keep the aggravation out of his voice.

Jaden looked at him with exasperation. "Me? Nothing. It's not my fault doing my job saves someone's life and somehow, I'm in the wrong? Fuck that!" She bellows, remembering at the last second her two sleeping children that were just down the hall. "Say, you don't happen to know a lawyer, do you?" She asks, a little more quietly than her previous statement.

Leo shook his head in disbelief, not quite believing what he was hearing, but considering it was coming from Jaden, he supposed anything could be possible. "A lawyer? You mean aside from the idiot standing right in front of me?" Leo regretted his tone of voice almost immediately, not meaning to hurt his wife's feelings.

Jaden frowned at him, already tiring of his jibing comments for one night. "Right, forget I asked." She sighs in defeat. "Well, I'm going to take a shower. You are welcome to join me, by the way." She adds that last bit, almost hopeful he'd take the offer.

Leo shook his head immediately, not needing any time to think over on that offer, as tempting as it may be. "I think I'll pass on that one Jay. And since you don't want this," He lifts his hand up that's still holding the now, cold plate, Jaden completely forgetting it was even there in the first place. "I'll have to eat it. Can't go wasting food now, can we?"

But before Leo could walk out of the room to leave a now very disappointed Jaden knowing that sex wasn't on the menu for tonight, the woman walked up to him and took the plate from his hands. "I changed my mind." She said, her voice rough sounding with suppressed anger.

Leo had to blink twice to compose himself. "Are you… are you seriously going to eat that in the shower? Are you insane?" His voice rising in complete and utter confusion.

Jaden casted him a small smirk, assumed that it took ten long years of marriage in order for him to figure that one out. "Did you really have to ask me that? We've been married for how long? Wait, you don't have to answer that. I doubt that little dumb brain of yours can figure that out." Jaden said nastily, hoping to hit him where it hurt.

Leo narrowed his eyes at the remark, the hurt flashed unmistakably across his lined features. "I know the answer to that as clear as I know my own name, but do you know the answer to that, Jaden." He sneered spitefully. If Jaden was going to give him grief tonight, well, two can play at that particular game.

Jaden didn't answer right away. In fact, Leo could see the moment the question had smacked her right in that stupid little face of hers, as the confusion entirely took over. "Umm…" Jaden muttered, trying to rack her head around the correct answer.
Shit. He's got me good there. She thought with growing dread, knowing that she was totally in the shitter now.
When she finally settled on an answer, it wasn't said with the confidence that she felt, but with uncertainty that she knew Leo would pick up on right away. "Umm… seven years?"

She knew the answer was wrong judging by the pure disappointment and frustration etched onto her husband's face.
Leo sighed and held up his hands, hoping to end this fight right here and now. Arguing with Jaden wasn't always the smartest idea, and he knew after the day that she had, that she didn't deserve the grief that he was currently giving her. "Go on, have that shower then get your ass to bed." He said lowly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

But before Jaden could push past him to leave the room to get to the bathroom, Leo turned to walk out into the hallway, stopping in the doorway for a split second, and turning his head slightly to look at Jaden. "It's ten years by the way." He said softly, just loud enough for her to hear. Not waiting for her to respond to that, he walked away from the bedroom, his footfalls padding softly down the stairs.
Sighing heavily, Leo rubbed at his tired eyes. He needed some time to cool off before slipping into bed with his wife, afraid that he'd end up saying something he'd regret by the time morning came. He swore that his wife was getting crazier by the day, and he didn't know how to handle it anymore. Why couldn't they just talk to each like normal couples? Was his last thought before reaching the bottom step and sitting himself down onto it.

Jaden stood stock-still for a few seconds, knowing full well that she had upset her husband beyond repair. The pair had been getting into a lot of fights recently, and the kids were starting to take notice. But for all the excuses she could conjure up in her head, she knew that it was all her fault. Leo deserved better, Jaden knew, but she didn't know how to help him.
Straightening herself and shaking her head, Jaden finally left the tense bedroom and went into the bathroom to head into the shower, plate in hand, hoping the hot water would wash away all her problems, complete with crumbs and everything.

For all the trouble he was worth, Jaden knew deep down in her heart that Leo was a good, decent man. Whilst he is a very nice fella whose a great father to their two kids, Jaden had to admit, for a lack of a better phrase, that the man was a complete bore in bed. Apart from when the pair would get along in a casual conversation, their two personalities were totally different when it came to what the two craved for in sex.

Jaden was always the type of woman that enjoyed the thrill of exciting, rough sex, something to which her husband could not provide for her, preferring the slow and passionate type of intimacy. He wasn't completely useless however, Jaden had to give him credit to where it was due. He was still able to give her an orgasm, she'd give him that, but something about it always felt wrong to Jaden. It didn't feel achieved, nor did it empower her, rather it always felt hollow and lifeless, nothing like the hot and exciting ones she was so desperately chasing for. But he was a good man, Jaden had to keep reminding herself. He treated her right, was always there for her when needed, and the kids loved him. What more could she possibly asked for in a husband?

But for all the positives she tried to focus on, Jaden knew that she was unhappy. Leo was your typical boring husband who was on the straight and narrow and never craved adventure or excitement, he was perfectly happy living his life just the way it was. The complete opposite of Jaden herself.
Jaden knew that their marriage was failing, and she was surprised to find that that thought both depressed and scared her. She didn't want to hurt Leo any more than she already had, but she could already see the thin thread that this marriage was barely dangling onto. Only for it to snap at any given second where the couple would come crashing down with the consequences of their actions, left to pick up the pieces not just for the sake of each other, but their children too.

Jaden rinsed the last remains of the shampoo in her hair and hastily dried herself with a towel, heading back into the bedroom. She wasn't expecting her husband to be tucked up into bed, his soft snores filling the quietness of the room, but she was grateful that he had decided to stay. After what she had been put through today, she finally realised that she did indeed need his comfort and support that she had declined earlier.

Feeling foolish and rather stupid, Jaden slipped quietly into bed beside her husband, trying not to rouse him as she pulled some of the covers over her exposed body. She placed a small kiss on his forehead before rolling over to her side of the bed. Sleep didn't immediately claim her like she hoped it would, instead she laid there, feeling more alone than ever despite the fact her husband was just a few inches beside her. She decided that she will make it up to him tomorrow, think of a way to apologise for her behaviour for pushing him away when she actually needed his support and care. She will finally make an effort to talk to him about her problems without it ending in a full blown argument, she will see to that.
That was the last conscious thought she had before drifting off into a blissful sleep herself.