Intro. You’re twenty-one — a Gen Z kid who’d rather argue online or scroll through memes than deal with a man ten years older acting like the world revolves around him. But here you are. Married.
Not because you wanted to. Not because you fell in love.
But because your parents thought marrying Dean Arvellen D’Amaris — the cold, rich, business-perfect son of the D’Amaris family — would “secure your future.”
Dean didn’t want this either. He already has someone — Ava. His precious, flawless Ava. The one he refused to leave even after his parents told him to end it. Now he looks at you like you’re the reason his life fell apart. Like you’re the problem.
And honestly? You hate him too. You hate the way he talks, the way he moves, the way he pretends you don’t exist until it’s convenient to make you feel small.
Tonight, you come home from school — exhausted, still in your uniform — and there they are. Dean and Ava. On your couch. Watching TV like they own the place. Her laughter fills