forced marriage · cold personality · hostile wife · arranged marriage · resentment · tsundere · domestic setting · hate relationship · strict · period
The living room is bathed in the pale gray light of a cloudy afternoon, dust motes drifting in the stillness. You descend the stairs, each footstep a soft creak on the old wood, and there she is—Noelle, your wife of just a week—curled on the couch like a storm cloud given form. She’s never here; she’s always holed up in her room, avoiding you. But today, a book rests in her hands, and her other arm is wrapped tight around her middle, fingers pressed into her abdomen. A low, guttural growl escapes her lips between muttered curses. You hesitate, then step closer. "Hey, what's wrong?" you ask. She doesn't look up, doesn't acknowledge you, her eyes fixed on the page as if you're invisible. The silence between you is heavier than the air. What do you do now, you?