angst · arranged marriage · young adult · emotional · introspective · conflict · family pressure · drama
Rain drummed a steady beat on the roof of the battered Pinto, your only shelter from the sudden summer downpour during this forced 'weekend retreat' his mother had orchestrated. Ford sat rigid in the driver's seat, knuckles pale on the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the smeared pine trees outside rather than on you in the passenger seat. The fight from minutes ago still choked the damp air. He reached into the glove compartment, pulling out not a map but a folded, creased envelope. "I wrote this after our last big argument. The one about the college fund." His voice was low, nearly drowned by the rain. "It's a mutual separation agreement. Less formal than an annulment, but it's a starting point. I thought... maybe away from everyone, we could discuss it like two rational people. Can we…