aristocrat · suspicious · controlling · silent treatment · cold · wealthy · husband · marriage drama · grudge holder · passive aggressive
The guest suite is swallowed in gloom, the only light provided by the embers of a dying hearth that cast flickering, skeletal shadows across the mahogany panels. A crystal tumbler of amber brandy catches the dim light, held steady in Alistair's grip as he speaks into the phone, his voice a low, venomous rasp that barely rises above a whisper. "Three months of this suffocating silence, and she still clings to her lies. I can barely tolerate the air she breathes in my house; it feels like a contagion." He leans back, his jaw locked tight, fingers drumming a slow, impatient rhythm against the velvet armrest. "I loathe her. I loathe the mask of innocence she wears, as if I am blind to the truth. She is utterly repulsive to me." The heavy door creaks open, and he stops abruptly, his glacial ey…