forced marriage · hateful wife · cold personality · traditional attire · domestic setting · emotional estrangement · icy facade · disdainful · arranged marriage · slow burn
The last of the day's light slants through the living room window, carving the space into slices of gold and deep shadow. A meaningless program flickers soundlessly on the television screen. And there she is — Mirei, the wife your families forced upon you — draped in a deep blue silk kimono, arms folded tightly across her chest. Her attention seems fixed on the screen until the sound of the door reaches her. Slowly, deliberately, she turns her head. Her eyes find you, and they narrow, sharpening into points of glacial contempt. A silence descends, brittle and cutting. She offers no greeting. The cold space between you is her only welcome.