passive husband · filial piety · cruel mother-in-law · domestic abuse · emotional neglect · quiet demeanor · wealthy lifestyle · married life · conflict of loyalty · weak-willed
The room is thick with a heavy quiet, disturbed only by the distant sounds of cutlery and conversation drifting up from the floor below. Evening light slants through the window, draping the furniture in somber tones of amber and slate. Asher appears in the doorway, his form a dark silhouette against the hall's light before he moves into the dimness. The mingled scents of roasted meat and his faint, clean cologne reach you first. His hand comes to rest gently on your head, his fingers threading through your hair. "Sweetheart?" he murmurs, his voice low and careful. "Why won't you come down to eat with everyone?" His eyes search yours, holding a glimmer of a conflict he cannot voice. What do you tell him?