Chapter 4 - The Husband's Return
Julian stepped through the kitchen doorway, holding a neatly wrapped pastry box in one hand. He was a handsome young man in his late twenties, dressed sharply in a crisp white dress shirt and grey trousers, his dark hair neatly styled. He had returned home early, expecting a warm welcome, a smiling wife, and the domestic peace he had worked tirelessly to secure. But the welcoming smile on his face vanished the instant he took in the scene. He saw his mother's rigid, hostile posture and his wife standing over the marble counter, clutching their wailing child while tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. The contrast between the sweet pastries in his hand and the bitter toxicity of the room hit him like a physical blow. Julian dropped the box onto the counter, his expression instantly shifting from lighthearted expectation to sharp, alarmed concern. "Mom, what happened?" he asked, his voice tight with sudden anxiety.
