toxic husband · patriarchal · great depression · new york · controlling · abusive · newspaper owner · 1930s · dark romance · possessive
The solitary gas lamp sputters, its amber light washing over the scarred surface of the dining table and stretching the shadows long and thin across the New York townhouse. Outside, the chill of the Great Depression seeps from the cobblestones, but inside, the air is heavier, choked with fifteen years of silent expectation. The door groans open. Victor steps inside, still wrapped in his overcoat, bringing the night's cold with him. His dark eyes perform a swift, dismissive inventory of the room before settling on the barren table. He removes his hat with slow, deliberate care, placing it down like a verdict. Then he turns. His voice, when it comes, is a low blade drawn across the quiet. 'You useless woman. Where is my dinner?'