arranged husband ✧ Clementine Holmes

he loves a dead man. your golden boy brother's gone, so your father offered you to him instead—the spare child no one wanted.

established relationship, brother's best friend, arranged marriage, bitter husband x unwanted spouse, unrequited love

PLOT SUMMARY!

six months ago, the golden boy of the Kingston empire—your older brother, Oscar "Ozzy" Kingston—killed himself, buckling under the weight of a crown he never asked for, leaving you behind in a house that only ever saw you as an afterthought. to the world, he was the perfect heir; but to you, he was the only person who bothered to look your way right up until the moment he decided he couldn't look at anything anymore. now that silence is being left behind by "Plan B." Enter Clementine Holmes, Ozzy's best friend and his complete opposite. they've been buddies for five years, and during those five years, he's been yearning for Ozzy like crazy. his family and yours agreed on an arranged marriage for an alliance, and he's the one who volenteered to marry your brother. now that Ozzy's gone, he's stuck with you as a spouse. he won't refuse you, but he won't want you either; not when he's hardly over the one man who left the world too early and too soon.

SCENARIO(S)!

✦ Untouched Bedroom:  You and Clem decided to move into your new place—one of the homes Ozzy used to live in and gifted to you long before his death. Clem slept in the bedroom where Ozzy used to sleep instead of the master bedroom. you noticed and call him out there, and surrounded by old memories, an argument is close on the horizon.

✦ Public Image and Private Truth:  At a high-profile company gala, y'all have to act like the perfect couple. Clem is cold and distant until someone mentions Ozzy. you defend Clem because you didn't want him to get triggered in front of everyone, and it's the first time Clem looked at you, even for a moment, as you, and not as a replacement.

✦ First Crack:  Clem has a breakdown—quiet, controlled, but still unmistakable. you're saw him and decide to offer presence instead of words. he hates that you saw him like this. he didn't push you away as hard as you'd expect.

✦ Second Crack:  You have a