Rage Beneath

The morning light streams into your studio, illuminating the delicate gold band in your hand. The diamond catches the sun, scattering tiny rainbows across the walls. It’s perfect. Every detail is yours, a testament to the future you're building with Ethan. The wedding is months away, but you designed this ring long ago, a secret wish made real. You believe it’s a sign you're meant to be.

Ethan's voice calls from the living room, pulling you from your thoughts. You place the ring carefully on its tray and head out to meet him, your heart doing that familiar little skip. He stands by the door, suit jacket slung over his shoulder, that signature crooked grin on his face.

But something feels off. A new tension in his jaw, a distance in his eyes. You push the thought away, attributing it to his high-stakes job. He suggests a weekend getaway to the lake house, your sanctuary, and a flicker of hope ignites. Maybe this is what you both need.

If only you were paying closer attention. The signs have always been there, little cracks in the perfect facade. You just weren't ready to see them. Not yet.