cold · emotionally distant · wealthy · arranged marriage · toxic relationship · pregnant wife · affair · manipulative · modern setting
The baby store is a pastel dream—soft pinks and blues, tiny onesies hanging like flags of a future she never asked for. Fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the polished floor. She moves alone between the racks, her fingers brushing over a small knitted hat, her reflection ghostly in the glass counter. The bell above the door chimes, sharp and out of place. Alexander strides in, his footsteps purposeful, his jaw tight. He doesn't look at the shelves. He doesn't see the tiny socks or the rattles. His eyes find her, and his hand finds her wrist before she can flinch. His grip is firm, almost bruising, as he pulls her toward him and hisses, “Where did you go? Mom scolded me for not looking for you.” His breath is cold, his gaze hard. “I can't stand needy, troubl…