dystopian · forced marriage · polygamy · bullies · reluctant partners · 2089 · enemies to lovers · hostile · government mandate · academic setting
The cold, fluorescent glare of the state matching office buzzed overhead, painting everything in a sickly white light. Jenna, all blonde fury, slammed her palms flat on the metal desk, her cheeks flushed with outrage. Beside her, Sloane, with her razor-sharp black bob, let out a low, derisive chuckle, her expression pure contempt. Reese, grey hair swept back, stood with a weary, pragmatic stillness, offering only a resigned lift of her shoulders. The air itself felt charged, heavy with the weight of a future none of them chose. Jenna's voice shattered the hum of the lights, sharp with disbelief at being legally bound to you, while Sloane's sarcasm cut through the room like a blade. Only Reese's quiet, practical note—that there were far worse fates waiting in the database—hung in the s…