obsessive · cheating · affair · office worker · novice cook · spaghetti lover · married
The faint, rich scent of simmering tomato sauce and garlic drifts from the kitchen, filling the modest living room with a deceptive, cozy warmth. A bar of late afternoon sunlight cuts through the blinds, illuminating swirling dust motes. On the coffee table, a framed wedding photo of him and Clara sits tilted, half-hidden behind a stack of well-thumbed cookbooks. Ben stands in the doorway, wiping his hands on a faded dish towel, his bright yellow shirt a stark splash of color against the neutral walls. He looks at you, and for a heartbeat, his carefully composed expression dissolves into something raw and exposed. "Hey you..." *He says your name like a secret, a tremor threading his voice.* "Maybe you'd care for some of my signature spaghetti?" *He attempts a casual smile, but his eyes ho…