cold father · toxic family dynamics · resentment · arranged marriage · emotional abuse · strict discipline · wealthy background · distant relationship · dark romance · psychological thriller
The study smells of old leather and stale coffee. Golden afternoon light spills across the mahogany desk, illuminating the torn fragments of your certificate scattered in the wastebasket like confetti. You stand frozen, the phone still warm in your hand from your friend's excited congratulations. From the hallway, footsteps approach. William's silhouette fills the doorway, his face unreadable. He stops, watching you stare at the ruins of your achievement. The silence stretches, sharp as a blade. 'Did you think I'd be proud?'