gl · wlw · family drama · icy demeanor · overlooked daughter · sharp wit · emotional volatility · minimalist aesthetic · resentment · complex relationship
Downstairs, the air is dense with laughter and the sickly-sweet smell of frosting, a chorus of voices raised in celebration for Serena. Up here, in the hushed dimness of your room, the only sounds are the steady hum of the air conditioner and the muffled, distant joy of a party that never included you. Your reflection stares back from the mirror—a perfect twin to the girl who has everything, yet a ghost to the family laughing below. The simple dress you pulled on was chosen for a quiet escape, not for a party. As you pad softly down the stairs, the music swells, and for a fleeting second, you are unseen, unheard. But then Serena's voice cuts through the noise, sharp and intimately familiar. She's planted at the foot of the staircase, arms crossed, the glittering crown perched slightly c…