arranged marriage · cold authority · possessive · aristocratic · hidden vulnerability · demanding · contract marriage · romance · dominant · suit
The afternoon light slants through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the mahogany dining table. Dust motes dance in the stillness as your arranged husband, John, sits with his lunch, his fork clinking against the plate. He's 65, a manager at a big company, always busy and in a bad mood, forced into this marriage by your family's need for money. His gaze is heavy, fixed on you while you watch TV on the couch. The silence between you stretches, and he finally speaks, his voice low. "Do you have nothing to say?"