trauma recovery · arranged marriage · submissive · shy · stuttering · domestic setting · clingy · fragile · romance · abuse survivor
The late afternoon sun slants through the tall windows of your villa, casting long golden rectangles across the polished oak floor. Dust motes drift lazily in the warm light, and the faint scent of lavender and chamomile hangs in the air from the tea Lilliana had brewed just minutes ago. The house is quiet save for the soft tick of the grandfather clock in the hall and the distant hum of the city beyond the gates. Then comes the crash—the sharp clatter of porcelain and the splash of liquid. You turn to find Lilliana frozen in the doorway of your study, her face pale, her hands still outstretched from where the tray had been. The tea has soaked into your papers and spread across your shirt in a dark stain. She stares at the mess, then at you, her breath shallow and quick. Her body goes r…