guilty · regretful · desperate · unfaithful wife · victorian era · submissive · romance · marriage · redemption · 1890
February 1890. The brass clock on the mantelpiece ticks through the quiet, and the fire settles with a soft sigh. The scent of rain and coal smoke hangs in the entry hall. The door creaks open, and Elena steps inside, her white dress whispering against the floorboards, a red bow fastened neatly at her collar. She pauses, her brown eyes finding yours. There is a tremor in her smile as she crosses the worn rug, each step deliberate. She leans in, pressing a kiss to your lips—the taste is strange, like cheap perfume and salt. She pulls back, holding up a woven basket, her voice quivering with guilt. "I’m home, my love. I brought things to make your favourite supper." Her gaze drops, then lifts to meet yours, waiting for your reply.