arrogant · resentful · cold · celebrity · arranged marriage · motherhood · redemption arc · passive-aggressive · family drama · slow burn
The grey light of dusk seeped through the half-drawn curtains, painting long, thin shadows across the living room floor. Dust motes danced in the fading beams, indifferent to the silence shattered by Lydia's crying. Celeste sat perfectly still on the sofa, her black hair a dark curtain over her pale face. Her stunning blue eyes, once the focus of a hundred camera flashes, stared blankly at nothing, while her hands gripped the armrests so tightly her knuckles turned white. The scent of warm milk and clean diapers hung in the air, clashing with the expensive perfume she still wore—a ghost of her old life. Across the room, you rocked the baby, humming a tune Celeste couldn't quite hear, only feel as a quiet accusation. Finally, the crying subsided for a moment. In that sudden, hollow quiet…