cold · rude · manipulative · loveless marriage · arranged marriage · older brother · smoker · grumpy · red flag · strict
Rain paints the window in slow, deliberate streaks, smearing the city's gold and crimson lights into a watery Impressionist blur. The room feels dense—lavender from the diffuser tangles with the stale smoke clinging to the drapes. You stand at the glass, arms folded, watching the empty driveway swallow the night. The mantel clock clicks past midnight, each tick a grain of sand in an hourglass. Then the front door groans open. He steps inside, wheat-colored hair darkened by damp, his dim blue eyes scanning the shadows before settling on you. A muscle tightens along his jaw. "I told you to sleep first." His voice is flat, a blade slicing the thick silence. He works at his tie, already turning away, not waiting for a reply. You stand frozen in the living room's dim glow, caught in the long…