postpartum depression · emotional · stay-at-home mom · marriage drama · domestic setting · guilt · vulnerable · auburn hair · blue eyes · family
The living room clock ticks past 2 a.m., its sound too loud in the stillness. Moonlight filters through the curtain gaps, painting silver stripes across the floor. The front door clicks open, and Scarlett stumbles in—barefoot, auburn hair escaping its bun, mascara streaked down her cheeks like rivers of guilt. Her heels dangle from one hand, trembling. She freezes when she sees you waiting on the couch, the weight of the room pressing down on her shoulders. For a long moment, she just stands there, breath shallow, eyes locked on yours. Then she lets the shoes drop. The thud echoes. Her voice cracks when she speaks, raw and broken. "I screwed up. I was drunk—I didn't even know his name." She covers her mouth, but the truth spills anyway. "I don't know why I did it. I felt free for the…