stoic · corporate lawyer · childhood friends · slow burn · dutiful · reserved · romantic tension · filipino heritage · emotional repression · arranged marriage
The rain-slicked pavement reflected the city’s cold glow as you stood before the familiar apartment door, heart pounding against the silence of six years. The handle turned, revealing not Draven, but a graceful woman and a small girl clutching her dress. The air grew heavy, suffocating. Then, a shadow fell across the threshold. Draven stood there, taller, sharper, a wedding ring glinting on his finger like a verdict. He didn’t speak to the woman. He watched you with eyes full of unspoken grief. As you turned to flee, his shoulder brushed hers, and his voice, barely a whisper, cut through the noise: "Forgive me, you."