The city skyline stretched out beyond the glass walls of Ryan's office, the lights glittering like stars against the darkening sky. His fists were clenched on his desk, papers scattered carelessly. Fury boiled within him, his mind tormented by thoughts he couldn't control.
"Damn it!" he shouted, sweeping everything off his desk in a violent motion. Files, pens, and documents crashed to the floor, but it wasn't enough to ease the rage simmering within him.
His phone vibrated with messages from Elina. Sweet, caring words that only added to his frustration. What was he even doing with his life?
Ryan's thoughts slipped into the past, dragging him to that heated conversation with his parents months ago.
---
Flashback
"Ryan, you're not a child anymore. It's time you take your responsibilities seriously." His father's stern voice echoed through the lavish dining room, his eyes cold and unwavering.
"I am taking them seriously, Dad. But not like this. I love Elina. I want to marry her!" Ryan's voice was desperate, his chest heaving with the effort to make them understand.
"Elina?" His mother scoffed, shaking her head. "That girl may be sweet, but she's not what's best for you. Lia is."
"Lia is a friend. She's nothing more than that," Ryan replied, his tone laced with frustration. "Why can't you see that?"
"Because her family is important to us," his father snapped. "Their business and ours have been intertwined for decades. Lia's parents are good friends of ours. Refusing this marriage would be disrespectful and damaging."
"So, this is just a business deal, then?" Ryan's voice cracked, his eyes filled with disbelief. "You don't care about what I want, do you? All that matters is keeping your reputation intact."
"Watch your tone, Ryan," his father warned, his gaze sharpening. "We have raised you with everything you could ever want. It's time you give something back. This marriage is not a request—it's a demand."
His mother's expression softened, but her words were just as harsh. "You'll understand once you've been married for a while. Lia is a good girl. She will make a wonderful wife, and her family will be the perfect in-laws. Besides, you should be grateful. Lia loves you. She will take care of you like no one else can."
"But I don't love her!" Ryan's voice rose, his chest tightening with despair. "I love Elina. Why can't you just accept that?"
His father's glare hardened. "Because love isn't everything, Ryan. Stability, reputation, and loyalty matter more. We've already made the arrangements. The engagement will be announced next week. Prepare yourself."
Ryan's eyes widened, his world crashing down around him. Every plea, every argument fell on deaf ears. His parents' decision was final, their expectations a shackle he couldn't break.
---
Present
Ryan's breathing was ragged as the memory replayed in his mind. That conversation had destroyed him. It was the moment he realized his own happiness meant nothing to his parents. Their approval was conditional, their love nothing more than a cage.
Marrying Lia had been an act of resignation, a reluctant surrender to the weight of his family's demands. He had hoped that with time, the resentment would fade, that he could find peace in their forced union. But the bitterness only grew, fueled by the knowledge that Lia was suffering just as much as he was.
Yet, his anger was misdirected. Rather than confronting his parents, he had taken it out on Lia. Treating her coldly, harshly, as if hurting her could somehow lessen his own pain. But it didn't. It only deepened the wound, leaving him trapped in a cycle of misery and guilt.
Ryan buried his face in his hands, his breathing ragged. His phone vibrated again. This time, he picked it up, staring at Elina's name flashing on the screen. The woman he loved, the woman he could never have completely.
"Damn it..." he whispered to himself, his voice broken.
He couldn't go on like this. But he also couldn't let go. The chains of obligation were too heavy, too deeply rooted in everything he had been taught.
But for how long could he keep pretending that this hollow existence was enough?