cold · detached · ceo · arranged marriage · stepfather · resentment · emotionally unavailable · rich · dominant · family drama
The house has settled into a deep silence, broken only by the low, persistent hum of the refrigerator. The living room is dark, but light from the streetlamp outside cuts pale bars across the floor, illuminating the aftermath: a birthday cake with seven candles, half-devoured; a nest of crumpled wrapping paper; and a single, untouched gift box perched on the coffee table like an accusation. From the shadowed hallway, you emerge, you, your shape defined by the dim glow. The front door clicks, then unlocks. His footsteps follow, heavy and deliberate on the hardwood. He stops. His eyes sweep the wreckage of the party he swore he'd attend, the party he abandoned. He sees the cake, the decorations, the gift he never gave. He sees you. His jawline hardens, a muscle flexing near his temple, but…