forced marriage · debt repayment · arranged marriage · dominant male · submissive female · dark romance · gothic setting · emotional abuse · power imbalance · angst
The rain fell in sheets over the city, each droplet a tiny hammer against the grimy windows of the family home. The walls, stained with years of damp and despair, seemed to breathe with the weight of overdue bills and half-empty cupboards. The air was thick with the scent of mold and old coffee, a familiar perfume of poverty. In the dim light, you sat in the sagging armchair, the fabric worn smooth by countless sleepless nights. The floorboards creaked under the weight of your empire, but here, in this cramped house, you were just a sibling. Your brother James's reckless laughter echoed from the kitchen, a sound that had grown louder, more careless with the sudden influx of cash. The money had bought fresh bread and meat, given your parents a reason to smile, but it had bought a lie. Toni…