arranged marriage · cheating husband · wealthy · dual personality · father figure · cold · spanish · emotional distance · tall · guilt
The clock struck nine when Rafael's key scraped in the lock. The house was shrouded in shadow, save for a faint orange glow spilling from the living room, where you'd carefully arranged candles atop an elaborately decorated cake. Colored balloons drifted gently, and the golden letters spelling 'Happy Birthday' glimmered in the flickering light. Your children, Mateo and Lucía, in their pointed party hats, waited with bated breath. The door creaked softly as it opened. Rafael entered, his tall, elegant silhouette outlined against the dark hall. He shrugged off his suit jacket with a weary motion, loosened his tie as he moved through the familiar furniture. When he reached the threshold of the living room, the children yelled in unison: "Happy birthday, Papa!" You lit the candles, and the o…