War God is Back for his Mother

Chapter 11: The Phone Call

Selena Sterling stood frozen outside the locked guest room door, her hand still hovering in the air as if she might knock. The silence from inside pressed down on her heart, like a heavy burden. She could hear nothing—no movement, no breathing, nothing at all. It was as if Alex had already disappeared from her life completely.

Her heart protested painfully in her chest. How had everything fallen apart so fast? Just two days ago they had said their vows in front of everyone. And now she was standing here like an intruder in her own home.

She turned away slowly, her legs feeling heavy as she walked back to the living room. The sofa where she had sunk earlier still held the shape of her body. She dropped onto it again, pressing her palms against her face. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

No... She would not cry. This was Alex's fault. He was the one being unreasonable. He was the one turning a small issue into something huge.

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table. Selena glanced at it, her vision blurry for a moment. It was Sarah, her cousin and the only person whose advice she trusted. At that moment, Sarah was calling to ask about the situation.

Selena grabbed the phone quickly, answering on the second ring. She needed someone to talk to, someone who would hear and understand her side of things as well.

"Sarah," she said, her voice already shaking with frustration. "You won't believe what's happening."

Sarah's voice came through, clear and concerned. "Selena? I was worried after our last call. How are things with Alex? Did you two talk?"

Selena immediately began complaining, the words pouring out of her like water from a broken dam.

"Alex is being so narrow-minded, Sarah. He refused to listen to any of my explanations. I tried to tell him everything, that Dennis is just an employee who needed help, but he wouldn't hear it. He keeps demanding that I cut ties with Dennis Doom completely. He wants me to fire him! Can you imagine? Fire him just like that, after everything Dennis has done for the company."

"What... What did you say, Lena?" 

Selena got up and started pacing around the living room now, one hand gripping the phone tightly while the other gestured wildly even though Sarah couldn't see her. Her attitude clearly leaned toward defending Dennis Doom.

"I refused, obviously! If I agree, won't it be an admission of guilt? And why should I do that, when there's nothing inappropriate between me and Dennis. Nothing at all. He's my friend and he's been loyal. Firing him would be completely unreasonable. Alex is just jealous for no reason. He's making up problems where there aren't any. I stayed at the hospital because it was the right thing to do. Any decent person would have done the same. But Alex acts like I betrayed him on purpose."

Selena's voice grew louder as she continued. She told Sarah about the cold way Alex had looked at her, how he had moved his things to the guest room and locked the door.

"He said our wedding night no longer exists. Can you believe that? After everything we've been through together. Three years, Sarah. Three years of me loving him, supporting him, and this is how he treats me? Over one night? Over Dennis needing medical help? He's being so dramatic. He even brought up all these old things—the airport, the banquet kiss that was an accident. He won't let anything go. It's like he's been collecting grievances against me and Dennis this whole time."

She paused for a breath, but only for a second. The frustration was boiling over inside her. Dennis's pale face from the office earlier flashed in her mind. How he had dragged himself there just to check on her and the company. That kind of dedication deserved respect, not suspicion.

"Dennis has never crossed any lines. He's always respectful. Always sorry when things go wrong. Alex just can't see that. He's so focused on his own feelings that he doesn't care about what's right. I told him I'd set some boundaries, keep things more professional, but that's not enough for him. He wants total control. It's not fair."

On the other end of the line, Sarah was quiet for a long moment. She was sitting at the dining table with a glass of wine, thinking carefully about the situation.

Sarah had always been the more level-headed one in the family. The one who saw things from different angles.

Finally, Sarah spoke up, keeping her voice soft, because she couldn't help her words from being harsh.

"Selena, listen to me. Alex's anger is completely understandable. No man could tolerate his wife becoming so close to another man. Especially not on their wedding night. Think about it. You left him alone in the honeymoon suite to sit by Dennis's bedside all night. You didn't come home until the next day. How do you think that makes him feel?"

Selena stopped pacing. She opened her mouth to argue, but Sarah continued before she could interrupt.

"I'm not saying Dennis is a bad person," Sarah said carefully. "But from Alex's perspective, it looks bad. Really bad. You've been dropping everything for Dennis for months. The calls, the visits, the emergencies. Any husband would start to feel neglected. Any husband would start to wonder what's really going on."

Selena felt a spark of irritation. "But there's nothing going on! I keep telling everyone that. Why won't anyone believe me?"

Sarah sighed softly through the phone. "I'm not saying I don't believe you. But you need to see it from his side too. Marriage isn't just about what you feel is right. It's about how your actions affect the person you married. Alex has been patient for a long time, from what you've told me. Maybe too patient."

The words hit Selena harder than she expected. She sank back onto the sofa, her free hand clutching a throw pillow tightly. Part of her wanted to defend herself more, to explain again how Dennis was weak and needed her support as his boss. How Alex was blowing everything out of proportion because of his jealousy.

But another part of her—the small, quiet part she tried to ignore—felt a tiny flicker of doubt. Had she really gone too far? No. She pushed the thought away quickly. This was Alex's issue, not hers.

Sarah wasn't finished. Her voice softened even more, like she was trying to reach through the phone and shake some sense into her cousin.

"I want you to think about it from the opposite perspective. Really think about it, Selena. If Alex became extremely close with another woman, how would you feel?"