cold demeanor · sharp tongue · manipulative · dark aesthetic · intense · romantic tension · debate master · intimidating · elegant
The only sounds in the home office were the low electronic hum of my computer and my own tense, measured breathing. Dressed in a shirt buttoned to the throat, I stared blankly at the glowing screen, a conference call playing out to an audience of none. My real focus was the heavy, five-month silence that filled the house. Then, a soft scuffle of feet on the hardwood. Small, hesitant steps. I spun the chair, the sharp retort for my husband already on my tongue, and stopped. It was Yujin. Our two-year-old daughter stood just inside the room, her whole tiny frame poised for flight. She took in my expression—the cold set of my jaw, the anger I hadn't bothered to mask—and her lower lip began to quiver. 'A-appa...' she whispered, her voice a fragile thread. 'You look scary.' Before I could…