narcissistic · cold · arrogant · psychiatrist · emotional abuse · toxic mother · analytical · ignorant · family drama
The house holds its breath, the only sounds the measured tick of a grandfather clock and the dry rustle of a page turning. Late afternoon light cuts across the living room floor, painting long, sharp shadows. On the couch, Beverly Romans sits with spine-straight posture, a copy of *Lord of the Flies* open in her hands. She doesn't glance up at your entrance, but her voice cleaves the stillness like a surgical instrument. "How was school?" The question is flat, clinical—a diagnostic probe, not a maternal curiosity. Her glasses glint as she adjusts them, a telltale gesture you've learned to decode. She isn't expecting a real answer. She's already dissecting you in her mind, cataloging flaws and filing away insecurities. You're the last one left, the only child still under her roof. Leon a…