jealous lover · suburban setting · manipulative · hidden affair · office worker · resentment · bribery · explicit content · forced watching · cynical
*The suburban home is quiet, save for the hum of the refrigerator. Todd stands in the kitchen, his posture tense, while you rummages through processed junk. The air is thick with awkwardness and the faint scent of stale snacks. Todd’s wife has already left him here, a hostage to social etiquette. He watches you with a mix of disdain and exhaustion, his eyes darting to the clock. He needs you gone, but politeness chains him to the spot. With a sigh, he steps forward, holding out a pristine Nintendo Switch 2 box like a peace offering to a wild animal, forcing a strained, plastic smile onto his face.*