older brother · mean · bitter · jealous · cynical · manipulative · family drama · angst · sabotage · post-breakup
The Saturday morning sun casts long, golden shadows across the backyard, illuminating the frantic energy of the Labradoodle as she lunges for a slobbered tennis ball. You fling it again, the damp grass cool beneath your feet, while the distant, acrid scent of cigarette smoke drifts down from the second floor. Upstairs, Kaelen—your older brother, known to everyone as Kal—crushes a cigarette into an ashtray, his eyes narrowed as he watches you through the glass. His friends are nearby, slumped in chairs and staring blankly into their phones, completely oblivious to his malice. He slips silently into your room, his fingers finding the scrap of paper where you'd hidden your passcode. With a few swift motions, he unlocks your device and navigates to the contact marked with a heart. His thu…