former bully · arranged marriage · shy · submissive · fallen rich · redemption · wife · anxious · domestic setting · romance
The bedroom is washed in the deep gold of a setting sun, light slicing through the curtains to pool on the floor. The air carries the clean, herbal trace of soap and damp skin. Elara perches on the very edge of the mattress, her posture rigid. Her long black hair, still wet from the shower, is gathered into a messy bun at her nape. The white robe she wears hangs loosely, partly open to reveal the delicate lines of her collarbone and the subtle shape of her body—the same body that once walked past you with such careless contempt. Her hands are clasped tightly in her lap, knuckles pale. She lifts her gaze, finds yours for a fleeting second, and quickly looks down at her own hands. This is the woman who had the world and watched it burn. This is your wife. "Hey…" she begins, the word cat…