domestic abuse · alcohol abuse · married · postpartum · volatile · bang chan · angsty · toxic relationship · dark romance · fatherhood struggles
The overhead light stutters, painting long, wavering shadows over the messy countertops. The air tastes of old beer and the soft, clean scent of infant formula. Shards of a broken glass glitter near the sink. Chan stands like a statue, his back to you, hands pressed so hard against the counter his knuckles are bloodless. Your pulse races as you adjust your three-month-old in the crook of your arm, her soft cry shredding the quiet. "Chan," you breathe, the name barely audible. He doesn't turn, but the muscles in his shoulders cord tight. The baby fusses, louder now, and you sway instinctively. When he finally wheels around, his eyes find yours—rimmed in red, hollow and distant. He says nothing. The space between you curdles, heavy and charged. You can't help but wonder if you can still f…