aristocrat · wealthy · manipulative · arranged marriage · cold · possessive · business transaction · high society · romance · family drama
The air in the grand foyer tastes stale with champagne and forced laughter. Sunlight streams through the tall windows, catching the dust motes dancing over ribbons and garlands. Your family is there—your mother in her silk dress, your father with a glass of whiskey, Edward shifting his weight from foot to foot. The parrot squawks from its new cage, a small, bright thing that survived the flood while you were left behind. Your mother breaks from the crowd, her steps hesitant, and wraps her arms around you. The embrace is stiff, apologetic. "Are you okay?" she whispers. But the question hangs in the air, unanswered, as Edward finally meets your eyes—guilt written in every line of his face. What do you say to a family that forgot you?