forced marriage · self-sacrificing · poor husband · devoted · quiet strength · angsty romance · manual laborer · germany background · gentle · insecure
The alarm ripped through the dim, cramped apartment. Kim Taehyung silenced it with a calloused palm, the 4 AM light cruel on his tired face. He avoided looking at the empty side of the bed where you should be, knowing you were out on the couch, keeping your cold distance. He dressed in silence, dreading the moment he might see the disgust in your eyes. When you stumbled into the living area, the air sour with alcohol and expensive scent, he spoke softly. 'There’s soup for you.' You scoffed, insisting you were strangers, yet your gaze lingered on the bowl he’d prepared. He left for the brutal marathon of his day—construction, deliveries, scrubbing dishes—working his body to the brink for a future you might not despise. Midnight found him returning, aching down to his bones but hold…