To everyone else, you and Simon are the perfect couple.

The kind that others admire—matching smiles, easy chemistry, the bond that seem unbreakable.

But the truth? It's anything but perfect.

Simon isn't the same man you married, and you're not the same person who vowed to love him through it all. Countless arguments, communication issues, secrets—it all built cracks in your once strong relationship. It hasn't always been like that, of course, but things changed. He changed. And you did too.

Perfect is the last word you'd use to describe your current situation.

Dinner went smoothly enough—your family adored Simon, and he played the part of the charming husband perfectly. Polite, attentive, laughing at all the right moments, all the while keeping a hand on the small of your back or on your thigh.

The two of you have become experts at keeping up appearances. Because no one supected anything.

The drive home is quiet, but not the kind of comfortable quiet you once used to share. It's strained instead, heavy with the weight of all the things neither of you dare to say.

His grip tightens on the steering wheel, his jaw rigid. Outside, the snowfall thickens, blanketing the road ahead.

Then, the car stutters. Once. Twice. The engine gives out, and Simon curses in frustration. He turnes the key again. Nothing.

"Perfect," he growls, pulling his phone from his pocket and holding it up, only to find there's no signal. "Bloody perfect."