After fifty years of marriage, an elderly woman, Rose, hastily demands a divorce, feeling trapped in a life that seems perfect to outsiders but stifling to her. Her request marks the beginning of an emotional journey, culminating in her receiving a letter from her husband Charles, which changes her perspective and their lives forever.
Rose and Charles had been the quintessential love story. They met during their college years, and their romance blossomed into a marriage that everyone envied. Charles, always a decade older than Rose, adored her from the moment they met. They had spent their youth entwined in love, building a life together that seemed unbreakable.
As the years passed, they raised two children who went on to start families of their own. To the outside world, their marriage was a bastion of unending companionship and mutual respect. But inside the four walls of their home, Rose felt suffocated. She loved Charles, but she also felt that her own identity had been submerged under the weight of marital expectations.
Charles, on his part, remained deeply in love with Rose. He cared for her needs, always trying to anticipate her wishes and make her life comfortable. But as they aged, Rose began to feel more like a patient than a partner. This feeling of suffocation grew until it manifested in overt resentment towards Charles.
Their interactions became strained. One day, as Charles walked into the kitchen, he found Rose muttering to herself in frustration. Concerned, he asked, “What’s the matter, honey? You’re talking to yourself again.”
To which Rose snapped, revealing the depth of her frustration, “And it’s all thanks to you, Charles. You’re slowly driving me insane.”
Taken aback, Charles tried to soothe her, “Come now, Rose, don’t say things like that to me, they break my heart.”
But Rose was past consolations. She shot back, “You’re always playing the victim,” before storming out of the room, leaving a bewildered Charles trying to understand what he had done wrong.
The arguments became more frequent, each one chipping away at the facade of their perfect marriage. Eventually, Rose couldn’t take it anymore and she demanded a divorce. Charles, devastated but recognizing the toll their unhappiness had on both of them, agreed.
