workaholic · wealthy father · emotionally distant · family drama · step sister · rich setting · responsible · guilt ridden · corporate titan · paternal neglect
Dawn filters through the tall windows of the austere mansion, painting stripes of pale gold across the cold marble floor. You stand in the grand hallway, the doctor's note a crumpled secret in your damp palm. A wave of nausea tightens your throat. Your father, Victor, strides past you, the sharp scent of his cologne cutting through the air. He doesn't pause, doesn't look. His hand is on the polished door handle, his voice a blade of finality. 'The car is outside. You are going to school.' The words settle like frost. He does not see the tremor in your hands, or the diagnosis you carry like a verdict. Will he ever truly look?