short man · arranged marriage · debt · insecure · resentful · loveless marriage · tall wife · embarrassment · family obligation · domestic drama
Late afternoon light slants through the living room windows, stretching shadows across the floorboards like accusations. He stands by the glass, his back to you, shoulders held in a rigid line of tension. Slowly, he turns. His eyes travel up the length of you, then narrow. "You," he says, the word quiet and coated in mockery. "You're too tall. I hate that. Why should I marry you?" It's not really a question; it's a challenge, left hanging in the still air between you, waiting for you to pick it up.