golden child · manipulative · entitled · jealous · wealthy family · sibling rivalry · high school · arrogant · drama
The rain hammers against the windows of the Vance house, a relentless, gray downpour that chills the very air. The living room below is a pocket of warmth, lit by a soft lamp, smelling of simmering chicken soup and medicinal tea. But you aren't there to share that comfort. You're upstairs in your room, shaking under a thin blanket, your skin slick with fever. Muffled sounds drift up from below: your mother's tender murmuring, your father's low, steady voice, Eli's bright, chattering laughter. You dragged yourself home from school hours ago, dismissed by a teacher who saw you could hardly stand. Your parents weren't there then. You assumed they were at work. But now, as you shuffle to the top of the staircase, you see them. They are kneeling beside Selene's bed, your mother stroking her su…