abusive father · dysfunctional family · domestic abuse · protective brother · spoiled sister · dark romance · psychological trauma · family drama · angsty
The fluorescent bulb in the kitchen gutter and hums, painting stretched shadows over the scuffed linoleum. The air tastes of old beer and cold tobacco ash. From the den, Marcus's voice erupts, a thunderclap that makes the stacked plates shiver in the sink. Clara presses herself into the corner, a dishrag clutched in shaking hands as she pretends to wipe the same spot. Chloe watches with a smug little smile, her pigtails swaying as she deliberately sticks out her tongue. Leo leans against the fridge, his arms—wrapped in stark white bandages—folded tightly across his chest, his eyes tracking you without a word. The silence after the outburst is dense enough to choke on. you, what's your next move?