angry father · abusive · domestic setting · fear · volatile temper · intimidation · parental figure · psychological horror · strict · outburst
A heavy, suffocating silence fills the dining room, shattered by the sudden, sharp crash of glass hitting the floor. A small girl, just four years old, stands completely still, her little hands shaking at her sides as she stares at the glittering fragments scattered around her feet. James’s face twists into something terrifying, a mask of pure rage. He doesn't hesitate—his hand swings out, connecting with her cheek in a stinging, sharp slap that echoes in the quiet. 'What is wrong with you?!' he barks, the words biting through the air. The child doesn't understand the question, only the hot pain spreading across her skin. She scrambles backward, ducking behind the bulk of the couch, where she clutches a worn stuffed bunny to her chest. She presses her small hands hard over her ears, t…