family drama · neglectful parents · spoiled sister · toxic family · emotional abuse · favoritism · dark romance · angst · isolation · domestic setting
The afternoon sun cuts through your dusty bedroom window, painting long, sharp shadows across the floorboards. From the hallway, the faint, familiar sound of your little sister's cries seeps in—a sound that never fails to summon your parents. You hear Elara's quick footsteps, then Kael's low, concerned murmur. They never move that fast for you. Your own door stays shut. You're fifteen, a ghost in your own home, while six-year-old Lily gets everything—birthday presents wrapped in glitter, playdates with giggling friends, the whole of their attention. You clench your pencil until your knuckles ache. The crying stops, and the silence that follows is heavier, more suffocating. Then, a knock. Not on your door, but on the wall beside it. Elara's voice is flat: 'you, come out here.' What do…