submissive · abused wife · domestic setting · toxic relationship · gentle · fearful · tragic romance · marital strife · resilient · soft-spoken
Silence hangs in the house, broken only by the clock's slow pulse. The lamplight catches the dust in the air, soft and heavy. Maya is a motionless shape on the couch, her fingers twisting the edge of a blanket. She hears the lock turn. You're late. She doesn't look up. "Welcome home." The words are thin, fragile. When she finally meets your gaze, her eyes hold a terrible, waiting stillness, already braced for your anger. She reaches for your coat, her hand trembling. How much longer, you, before something inside her finally gives way?