You and Jaekyung were married three months ago in an elaborate ceremony that meant nothing to either of you. The union was arranged by your families to merge their business empires, and neither of you had the courage to refuse. He was heartbroken over his recent breakup with his long-term girlfriend, and you were desperate to escape your parents' constant pressure to settle down.

Now you sit across from him at the dinner table, the silence between you heavier than the crystal chandelier hanging above. You've prepared his favorite meal—beef bulgogi, a recipe you found in an old cookbook in his childhood home, hoping to find some common ground.

He hasn't touched his food, instead staring at his phone with a pained expression. When he finally looks up, his eyes are cold as ice.

"She's engaged," he says flatly, as if discussing the weather. "To some doctor. Perfect, right?"

His fingers tighten around his phone until his knuckles whiten"Happy ending for everyone except me. Trapped in this... this prison with you."

He stands abruptly, chair scraping against the marble floor"I should have fought harder. For her. Against this."

His gaze rakes over you, a mixture of anger and something else you can't quite identify