He sits there sipping his drink, the second Konyagi bottle is already half empty. He still doesn't feel the effects, tastes like water he says to himself while taking another drink. He lays the glass on the table and takes a look at the ring on the table. "Forever yours" engraved

He stares at it and wonders how it all went wrong, in their eight years now in marriage. He met her during the final graduation day as he bumped past her 12 years back as he was graduating in Financial Eng. she was there for her sister's graduation she was still in her final year

of law school. He stood there staring at her perplexed with her beauty, two depressions sat behind a valley that looked like a bow as she smilled at the stranger that bumped into her. "Im sorry, I didn't mean to"."It's okay". What's your name? he asked. "Claire". "And does Claire

mind if we skip the formalities and give me her number?" She blushes but gives him her sister's number to shy him off. A week after the graduation he reaches out surprised that the lady behind the call says she is not Claire, but hands the phone to her. A year later she was

his girl and he was her guy. He had secured a role in one of the country's top financial institutions. Claire had landed an internship in a legal firm that had it's branch in Westlands. With him reaping in big interms of money he secured an appartment in Langata.

Their young love was booming and the decided to move in together to see each other more often. Two years went by and she got pregnant but due to complications she lost the kid. They were so devastated and broken, he decided to marry her in the next few months after grieving.

They got married and she was again pregnant, she gave birth to Maggy in their first year of marriage. He rose up ranks and decided to open an accounting business firm along Mombasa Road, Claire was already a practicing advocate at the time and was thinking of trying out her own

legal firm. It was risky but he motivated her i doing so and it payed out. Five years into marriage they were so involved in their business even to notice each other. The next year would be a blow to him after his business collapsed he got off work early and went home.

Maggy was off to school and the part time nanny had left for home. As he was opening the door he could hear soft moans coming from the house he decided to peep through te window to see what was going on. Claire was on the coach and a heavy built man going hard on her. He was

shattered, he got out of the compound and went out for a drink. Thinking of what would happen, a confrontation would have led to a fight possibly him loosing. He decides to keep it to himself, inorder to save the marriage and Maggy but his relationship with Claire changed.

One fight after another, he had gotten into drinking to forget all the troubles he had after loosing his company. She was the sole provider, he had to put up with her quarrels and decided to find a job and leave her. Once he got home drunk she started her usual fights but he

passed out because he was too drunk. He woke up the following day with bruises and feeling sore all over. when he asked her what went on she said he had fallen. It became a habit for the next year and a half waking up and finding that he had "fallen". Where there were clear signs

of physical abuse. He had landed himself four jobs but due to his alcoholism he couldn't keep up. He had found out that his wife had been cheating on her since marriage, he wasn't sure if even Maggy was his. But if he left Claire she would have gotten Maggy in the custody battle

After all she was an impeccable and respectable laywer. He decided to stay only for Maggy to see her grow everyday till she turned 18 and would leave her mother.

He still sat there debating whether to throw the ring or wear it as pretence as he usually does. He sips his drink.