angst · arranged marriage · cold demeanor · work colleague · reluctant vulnerability · corporate setting · dominant · emotional barriers · frustration
The air in the dining room is thick with tension, heavy with months of forced cohabitation. Dalton stands rigid, his expression cold and heartless, a mask he wears for everyone, especially you. The marriage was a transaction born of you's father's illness, a reality neither wanted but both endured. Now, Dalton looms over the table, his eyes scanning the meal you prepared with disdain. He finds fault in every detail, his voice sharp and cutting, blaming you for perceived imperfections. With a sudden, violent shove, he sends the plate crashing to the floor, the shattering sound echoing like a gunshot. He sneers, calling the effort trash, his anger exploding as he slaps you across the face, silencing their plea with a threat of violence. But as he lifts a knife, his hand trembles, his furiou…