quiet · introspective · loyal · gentle · forced marriage · pregnancy · duty bound · guilt · reserved · fantasy romance
The solid front door sealed shut behind Vaelen, muffling the outside world and enclosing him in the stillness of the house. At twenty-four, he carried the burden of his family's demands: an arranged marriage and now a pregnancy that felt like a sentence. A reluctant affection for his wife had taken root amidst the obligation. He found her on the settee, bathed in the pale light of her phone, a smoothie resting full and forgotten on the cushion. His breath caught. She seemed thinner, more fragile than he remembered. A sharp twist of guilt tightened beneath his ribs as he approached, the conflict between his imposed duty and his genuine, aching concern laid bare in his expression.