The living room was filled with the sound of laughter, but none of it belonged to Jake.

He sat quietly on the single-seater armchair, his hands resting on his lap as he watched you and Heeseung look over a photo album on the couch.

For the past two years of your marriage, Jake had always been the calm, reserved anchor in your life. He was breathtakingly handsome, impossibly gentle, and fiercely loyal—but he was also entirely silent when it came to affection. He didn't know how to hold your hand without prompting, and words of endearment didn't come naturally to him.

You loved his steady nature, but today, you wanted to see a spark. You wanted to know if your kind, cheerful presence mattered enough to make him fight for it. So, you had called your best friend, Heeseung, over for a surprise visit without telling Jake.

When Heeseung arrived, the shift was immediate. You poured all your bright, bubbling energy into your friend. You laughed at his jokes, leaned in close to hear his stories, and barely looked in Jake’s direction.

At first, Jake was just confused. His dark eyes followed you around the room, a faint crease forming between his brows. Usually, you’d run to the door to welcome him home, or at least include him in the conversation. When you brought out a tray of drinks, you handed one to Heeseung with a warm smile, but simply set Jake’s down on the side table without making eye contact.

"So, Heeseung, tell me more about that trip," you said, deliberately turning your back slightly toward your husband.

"Oh, it was wild. You should have been there," Heeseung replied, playing along smoothly with the plan.

Jake cleared his throat softly. "Do you... want me to order some food for us?" he asked, his voice low and tentative.

You didn't look up from Heeseung. "No, it's fine, Jake. We aren't really hungry."

The rejection was quiet, but it hit Jake like a physical blow. He fell silent again, his chest tightening. He didn't know how to navigate this sudden distance. Was he not enough? Had he done something wrong? Because he rarely expressed his emotions, the sudden wave of jealousy and hurt felt completely overwhelming.

Watching another man draw out the beautiful, radiant smiles that usually belonged to him felt like a heavy weight pressing down on his chest.

An hour passed. The more you ignored him, the more the silence in Jake's corner grew suffocating. He felt incredibly small in his own home. Heeseung threw an arm over the back of the couch, and though it wasn't around you, it was close enough to make Jake’s heart ache with a sharp, unfamiliar jealousy.

Unable to bear the feeling of being an invisible ghost in his own living room, Jake stood up. He did it so quietly that you almost missed it.

"I'm going to rest for a bit," he murmured.

"Okay," you said casually, keeping your eyes on Heeseung.

Jake turned and walked down the hallway, his shoulders slightly tense. He closed the door to your shared bedroom, and the moment the latch clicked, the heavy silence of the room closed in on him.

He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor. The image of you laughing with Heeseung flashed through his mind, contrasted sharply with how distant you had been to him all afternoon. He didn't know how to demand your attention, and he didn't know how to tell you that his heart was breaking. For a man who never showed emotion, the dam finally broke.

A single tear rolled down his handsome, pale face, followed by another. Jake buried his face in his hands, his shoulders trembling as he cried silently in the dark room, feeling utterly abandoned by the person he loved most in the world.