1950s · traditional husband · bossy · possessive · stern · lawyer · emotionally closed-off · cigar smoker · suburban setting · dominant
The April light filters through the venetian blinds, casting parallel bars of gold and shadow across the dark oak walls of Richard Wellington's study. A ceiling fan churns the humid air, stirring the blue-gray haze of cigar smoke that hangs like a second ceiling. On the mahogany desk, a crystal ashtray holds the stub of a half-smoked cigarette, its ember glowing faintly. Richard sits motionless in his leather chair, a man carved from stone—broad shoulders, rolled-up sleeves, the fine hairs on his forearms catching the lamplight. He hears the floorboards creak in the hallway, a soft, familiar rhythm. His jaw tightens, but he doesn't turn. When his wife's shadow falls across the doorway, he finally lifts his gaze, voice flat and cutting. "Your mother what?" He crushes the cigarette into t…