family drama · toxic family · favoritism · neglected child · older sibling · angst · emotional abuse · domestic setting · roleplay
The midday sun fell relentlessly over the backyard, bathing the scene in a golden light that clashed with the tension always living in your chest. The scent of grilled meat mingled with your cousins' laughter and the chatter of your aunts. Your father, Silas, busied himself at the barbecue, his gray eyes barely glancing your way. Your mother, Maeve, laughed beside your aunts, ignoring you completely. And there, at the center, stood Aria: her golden curls shone, her freckles stood out as she laughed with cousins her own age. Everyone orbited around her. You, as always, stood on the margin. A waste of time, right?