His forbidden desire

Introduction

Where are you, Liam?” Amelia’s voice cracked through the phone, sharp with anger and hurt. “I am asking you for the last time if you are coming or not. I am tired of waiting for you—always waiting—and you forgetting that we decided to spend the evening together.”

She paused, her fingers clenched tightly around the phone. The soft glow of candlelight reflected off the polished tables of the restaurant, and soft music played in the background, mocking her mood. Amelia had been sitting there for almost an hour now, dressed carefully for the occasion, her hair styled the way Liam once loved. Around her, couples laughed quietly, sharing meals and memories, while a few curious glances were thrown her way as her voice rose.

“I’ve been waiting for almost an hour,” she continued, her words tumbling out faster now. “Today is our anniversary. Our fifth wedding anniversary. And yet you’re busy working. I don’t understand—how important is your work? Or is it more important than me?”

On the other end of the line, Liam stood in his office, phone pressed to his ear, eyes closed in frustration. The building was nearly empty, fluorescent lights buzzing faintly above him, stacks of unfinished files spread across his desk.

“Amelia, please,” he said softly. “I’m really sorry, love. Something urgent came up, and you know I can’t just leave it halfway. You know how work can be sometimes.”

“Now that we’ve been married for years,” Amelia shot back, barely noticing the people around her anymore, “you don’t think it’s important to spend time with your wife?”

Her voice trembled at the last word. Wife. The word that once felt so powerful, so comforting, now carried a weight she wasn’t sure she could bear alone.

Liam didn’t forget the date. He never had. He had remembered it the moment he woke up that morning, remembered it when he kissed Amelia on the forehead before leaving for work, remembered it every time he glanced at the clock throughout the day. But remembering wasn’t enough anymore. Being present mattered, and that was where he kept failing.

“I promise I’m trying,” he said, though he wasn’t sure if that promise meant anything now.

They had planned to spend the evening at this Italian place downtown, the place where they had gone on their first real date. It wasn’t fancy, but it was special. The place held laughter, awkward silences, stolen glances, and memories of a time when life felt simpler. Liam had wanted to relive those moments, to remind Amelia—and himself—of what they once were before life pulled them in different directions.

There had been tension between them lately, tension neither of them knew how to name properly. It lived in unanswered texts, hurried breakfasts, late nights, and conversations that never went beyond surface-level updates. Liam believed that tonight could help ease that tension, that a quiet evening filled with nostalgia and warmth might stitch together the cracks forming between them.

But, as always, he was late.

Liam and Amelia had met in college through mutual friends. They were studying different subjects and living entirely different routines, yet somehow found themselves gravitating toward each other. Their first few conversations were effortless, filled with laughter and curiosity. The kind of love that pulls in, teenage love filled with lot of emotions and crushes. It was love at first sight, the love that feels all consuming and over the moon types. They started dating quietly, unsure of what it would become, before officially announcing their relationship a few months later.

After graduation, they moved in together. Both were working long hours, and it felt practical—almost natural—to share a space. They already knew each other’s habits, moods, and silences. Living together was just the next step in a relationship that felt steady and safe.

It was Amelia’s first relationship. Liam had dated someone briefly in high school, an on-and-off romance that eventually fizzled out when they realized they wanted different things. Neither of them had much experience navigating serious relationships, but their calm, easygoing nature made things work. They learned together—how to communicate, how to fight without hurting each other too deeply, how to forgive.

They spent years enjoying each other’s company. They hugged in crowded hallways, kissed under streetlights, made out in places they would later laugh about, discovering each other’s warmth and comfort. It was imperfect but real, and it felt like enough.

After a few years, Liam proposed. It wasn’t extravagant—no grand gestures or public spectacle—but it was heartfelt. Amelia said yes without hesitation. They married soon after, binding themselves together with vows they believed would carry them through anything.

Marriage brought change, as it always does. There were adjustments to be made, compromises that sometimes felt heavier than expected. But they were happy—or at least they believed they were. They settled into their careers, slowly building a life that looked stable from the outside.

Liam wanted a simple life. A loving wife, children, a home filled with laughter. He was proud of how far they had come. Amelia was beautiful, caring, and thoughtful, her kindness deepening with age. Liam was thirty-two, Amelia had just turned thirty, and on paper, everything was falling perfectly into place.

There was only one thing missing.

Amelia wanted a child. She had wanted one for a long time, quietly at first, then more openly. She felt the time was right—they were financially stable, emotionally mature, and ready to grow their family. Liam didn’t say no, but he didn’t say yes either. There was always something to wait for: a promotion, a project, a better time.

Slowly, love began to change—not disappear, but shift. Priorities moved.

Careers demanded more attention, exhaustion replaced excitement, and conversations about the future turned into disagreements rather than dreams.

The once-happy couple found it harder to find joy in the life they had built together. They weren’t unhappy, exactly—but they weren’t fulfilled either. They lived side by side, sharing space but growing apart in ways neither of them wanted to admit. They had careers and it demanded a lot of their time too, both ambitious and success driven.

As Amelia sat alone at the restaurant, staring at the empty chair across from her, she wondered when waiting had become her normal. And as Liam finally shut down his computer, guilt heavy in his chest, he wondered how many moments could be postponed before they were lost forever.

Things change. Love changes. People change.

What happens when the things you once wished for no longer bring the same comfort? Will love be enough to hold them together, or will the distance between them lead them toward choices they never imagined making?

Only time would tell.