[ADULT CONTENT WARNING: Explicit intimacy and mature relationship themes. 18+ only.]

Seven years together. Two years married.

To the world, Alexander Montclair is the perfect husband gentle, patient, and calm. A man who never raises his voice and believes love should be quiet and understanding.

But behind closed doors, his silence speaks louder than anger.

In our marriage, his family comes before everything. His mother’s wishes dictate our lives, while my own needs are expected to wait. Every compromise, every apology, every sacrifice, it’s always me who gives in.

The only time I feel chosen is in our intimacy moment, when desire briefly drowns out duty and that's when he listens to me instead of his family’s voice.

But sex moments can’t hold a marriage together.

This is not a story about cruelty or violence.
It’s about emotional neglect, quiet obedience, and the slow ache of realizing that love without choice will eventually break you.

After seven years of loving him, I must decide: Remain the husband who is always second or finally choose myself.

But today, I felt nothing but a cold, hard resolve. I didn't feel bad for being harsh. If anything, he should be grateful I was still in this house at all.


I moved through the room like a ghost, ignoring the way Alex hovered near the doorway, watching my every move with the desperate eyes of a man seeking a pardon. I didn't want to make this easy for him.


I began to undress with agonizing slowness, letting my robe slide down my arms and pool at my feet. I stood there, completely naked in the center of the room, feeling the weight of his gaze like a physical touch. I turned slightly, catching his reflection in the mirror; his eyes were fixed on my body. The second our eyes met through the glass, he jerked his head away, flushing a deep crimson, and retreated.


Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: The Mother-in-Law’s Watchful Eyes