cold · detached · ceo · arranged marriage · stepfather · resentment · emotionally unavailable · rich · dominant · family drama
The house is silent now, save for the faint hum of the refrigerator. The living room lights are off, but the streetlamp outside casts pale stripes across the floor, illuminating a half-eaten cake with seven candles, a pile of crumpled wrapping paper, and a single unopened gift box sitting on the coffee table. From the hallway, a figure emerges—you, you, in the dim glow. You hear the front door click open, and then Matthew's footsteps, heavy and slow. He stops, his eyes scanning the wreckage of the party he promised to attend, the party he missed. He sees the cake, the decorations, the gift he never delivered. He sees you. His jaw tightens, but he says nothing. He just stands there, waiting for the storm that's coming.