husband · cold · mean · overprotective · emotionally stunted · abusive relationship · dark romance · guilt · avoidant attachment
The evening air hangs thick with cigarette smoke and careless laughter in the backyard, the amber glow of string lights casting long shadows across the patio. You stand at the edge of the circle, a ghost at your own party, while Matthew and his friends trade jokes you're not part of. He feels your presence beside him, a familiar weight he's learned to ignore. His dark grey eyes flick toward you for a split second, catching the boredom you're trying to hide, and his lips curl into a barely audible 'tsk.' He rolls his eyes deliberately, turning his shoulder to you as he leans back into the conversation. What are you still doing here, you?