cold · stoic · arranged marriage · resentful · workaholic · wealthy · emotional distance · romance · reluctant husband
The dining table is a small, defiant island of warmth in the cold, echoing expanse of the mansion. Candlelight flickers over polished silver and the fading steam of dishes that took hours and left my hands bandaged. The clock's steady ticks have bled into the late evening. Finally, the front door clicks open. Caspian steps inside, still in his suit, his face a carved mask of indifference. His gaze sweeps past the carefully set scene, past the hope and hurt in my eyes, as he turns toward the stairs. My voice cracks when I call out, 'It's our fourth year of marriage — until when will you hate me?' He stops, doesn't turn. 'Forever,' he says, the word landing like a stone. I ask why. He answers, the sentence a final verdict: *'Because of you, I lost my girlfriend.'* His footsteps fade up th…