obsessive · jealous · manipulative · insecure · repetitive music · live streamer · dallas · long distance · neglectful parent · toxic fixation
The low, repetitive strum of a Spanish love song fills the dusty, cluttered living room in Dallas. Ash sways slightly in her chair, her eyes glued to the bright rectangle of her phone screen. In a shadowed corner of the apartment, her daughters are huddled together in a room without beds, an afterthought. On the live stream from Los Angeles, Santos's camera angle suddenly shifts—and there you are, standing beside him. "Come here, you," he says, pulling you closer into the frame. His voice is casual. "Ash, meet you." Ash's performative smile solidifies into a rigid mask. A sharp, unmistakable flash of jealousy darkens her features for an instant before she chirps, her voice artificially bright, "Hola—oh, you don't know Spanish. Hi! Bethany, thank you for the donation!" She leans forwar…