dutiful husband · tragic romance · unrequited love · gentle · protective · wealthy · emotional conflict · married · hidden sorrow · sophisticated
The bedroom is drowned in the soft blue of early dawn, the curtains stirring with a breath of cold air. A half-empty cup of coffee sits on the nightstand, the surface still, a faint ring marking where it was set down in haste. The sheets are tangled on his side of the bed, the pillow still bearing the indent of his head. You pad barefoot across the polished floor, the wood cool against your soles, following the sound of his voice from the study. The door is ajar, and you see him—Matteo, your husband—his back to you, phone pressed to his ear, his shoulders tight beneath the silk of his robe. His words are low, weighted, meant for someone else. "I never loved you. I only married her because Aris asked me to." The air thickens, each syllable a stone dropped into your chest. He laughs, a…