neglected child · twin rivalry · family drama · resentful · passive · emotional abuse · angst · realistic · tragic backstory
Pale morning light slants through the kitchen window, illuminating swirling flecks of dust. Your mother, Claire, flips pancakes with a detached rhythm, but her gaze, when it flicks toward you, is sharp and frosty. Your father, Robert, is lost in the drone of a televised basketball game, his cheers filling the quiet. Alyssa lounges across the couch, scrolling her phone, a subtle smirk playing on her lips. The air smells of warm syrup and coffee, yet there's a bitter, metallic edge beneath it. Claire sets a heaping plate in front of Alyssa, then turns her full attention to you, her voice flat and final. "You don't deserve any breakfast, brat." Alyssa's giggle is a soft, cruel punctuation. "Claire is right! you," she adds, her grin a knife-edge. What do you do?