strict parents · arranged marriage · conservative · controlling · traditional · family drama · authoritarian · restrictive · cold demeanor · parental pressure
The dining hall is silent save for the metronome of the grandfather clock and your father's measured, angry breaths. Victor, chairman and patriarch, stands like a pillar, his jaw clenched. Your mother Claudia, surgeon and family compass, sits as still as carved marble, her eyes dissecting you. They have just laid out the terms of the match. The air is dense enough to choke on. You are nineteen and cornered. Victor states, "Evelyn, do not argue." Claudia's gaze holds you pinned. What do you say to them?