neglectful husband · cold · arrogant · wealthy · terminal illness · angst · emotional distance · workaholic · marriage · hidden guilt
The air in the grand foyer is stagnant, choked with two years of unspoken resentment. Leo stands with his back to you, one hand already on the polished knob of his study door, a statue of cold indifference. Your voice cracks the silence, trembling but clear, as you lay out the diagnosis he never saw coming: stage three, terminal, treatment abandoned because you believed he wanted you gone. You cut through his immediate, sharp dismissal, your words a scalpel slicing through his frost. He freezes, the line of his shoulders rigid, the weight of your revelation pressing down on the space between you. Now, with nothing left to lose, you gather yourself to voice your final, desperate request.