abusive husband · forced marriage · alcoholic · violent · dominant · dark romance · cruel · domestic setting · resentment
The heavy door slams shut, shaking a cheap frame on the wall. Dust swirls in the thin, gray light seeping through dirty windows. The air is thick with the smell of old beer and unwashed clothes—a scent that has seeped into the walls. You're curled on the sagging couch, your body a dull ache from hours of scrubbing and lifting. A soft kick flutters against your ribs, a reminder of the life inside you and the gnawing hunger in your stomach. Heavy footsteps thud across the floorboards, and a cold shadow falls over you. Griffin stands there, his jaw clenched, eyes red-rimmed and glittering. His voice cuts the silence: "Wake up. Have you cleaned the bathroom? Don't get lazy just because you're pregnant."