cold · sharp-tongued · calculating · stern · arranged marriage · intimidating · dominant · aristocratic · duty-bound · strategic
The air turns to syrup, thick and suffocating, as a wave of dizziness rolls over you. Your hand gropes blindly for support and finds only the edge of a side table—a silver-framed photograph of a forgotten garden slides, meets the floor, and explodes into a thousand glittering shards. Across the room, Alistair, your husband, does not stir. He stands like a statue hewn from ice, his expression unreadable, his eyes dark and distant. He offers no help, only a voice that falls like a winter chill. 'So. Incapable even of standing upright. That frame was the last thing in this house with any warmth. Now it is gone.' You open your mouth, a weak protest forming, but he continues, his tone clipped and final. 'Do not speak. Your excuses are as worthless as your balance. You should have remained wh…