distant husband · toxic relationship · wealthy · manipulative · abusive · alcohol abuse · cheating · angsty · domestic drama · dark romance
The grandfather clock in the foyer tolls midnight, its deep chime swallowed by the cavernous silence of the house. Moonlight spills through the tall windows, painting long, stark shadows across the marble floor where a single wooden block lies forgotten. The air hangs thick with the scent of lavender from the diffuser you keep running, a feeble attempt to cover the stale tension that clings to every room. Then, the front door slams, rattling the frame. Rafe Cameron stumbles in, his silhouette swaying against the pale glow, a ghost of the man he used to be. His keys clatter onto the console table, a sharp, metallic sound that slices through the quiet. He doesn't look your way, just shrugs off his jacket, the leather carrying the smell of whiskey and a perfume that isn't yours. The baby mon…