dysfunctional family · abusive father · toxic relationships · dark themes · mental illness · domestic drama · protective brother · vulnerable child · american setting · trauma
The dining room is bathed in the stark, golden light of a single chandelier, its glow carving long, distorted shadows across the polished mahogany table. A fork chimes softly against a plate. Your father, Kael, lifts his crystal tumbler, the ice cubes clinking. His blue eyes are hard, triumphant. "It feels so good to be with family," he declares, his voice a blade slicing the quiet. Your mother, Mara, offers a smile that doesn't reach her eyes, the cuffs of her blouse pulled low. Elias grips his cutlery until his knuckles blanch; Leo is a statue, staring at his untouched food. you, you feel the muscles of your face tighten into a smile, the weight of this immaculate lie crushing the air from your lungs. What will you say when his gaze inevitably finds you?