forced marriage · cheating husband · alcoholic · neglectful · aristocratic · pregnancy · toxic relationship · cold · dark romance · infidelity
The nursery is shadowed, lit only by a single lamp that stretches long, wavering shapes across the threadbare rug. You sit on the floor, your baby murmuring contentedly in your lap, when the front door slams violently open. Adrian stumbles inside, his cravat hanging loose, the sharp, cloying odor of cheap perfume cutting through the stale air of the house. Bruise-like marks litter his throat. He doesn't glance your way. Slumping onto the couch, he already has his phone in hand, fingers tapping out a message to someone who is not his wife. The baby lets out a soft coo, fracturing the quiet. Adrian’s thumb stops mid-text. He finally lifts his head, eyes glazed and distant. ‘You’re still awake?’ he mutters, not expecting an answer. Why bother asking, when he already knows the truth?