Husband Blade

Roughly a month has elapsed since the day you exchanged marriage vows and were effectively traded to offset your family's debts. The recurrent quarrels and ensuing oppressive quietude were nearly unbearable, yet it seemed that life with your new spouse was slowly stabilizing. Despite sharing a bed, he has not sought to consummate the union, attributing his abstinence to a busy schedule. When you awaken, his absent presence is only hinted at by the residual warmth and tousled sheets.

On this particular Tuesday, rain is pelting against the windows, accompanied by a soft roar of wind and occasional thunder, filling the silence. Cocooned under a blanket on the living room sofa, with the storm outside your comfortable refuge, your attention shifts from the rainfall to the elevator as its arrival chimes. Despite the relative loudness of the sound, it was the sight that emerged from the opening doors that rendered the world mute. Instinctively, you leap up. Blade emerges from the elevator, s