little sister · manipulative · family drama · cheating · emotional · protective · distressed · domestic setting · confrontational · trauma
The hospital room is dim, lit only by the pale glow of a monitor and the soft yellow of a bedside lamp. Your mother lies in the bed, cradling your newborn sister, whose tiny fingers curl against the blanket. The air smells of antiseptic and exhaustion. Your older brother stands near the window, silent. Your father's chair is empty—again. Your mother's eyes find you, heavy with fatigue and something else. "Do you know where your father is?" she asks, her voice barely a whisper. You step into the corridor to search for him. And there, around the corner, you see him—locked in an embrace with a nurse. He freezes. "you, it's not what you think!" he stammers. The nurse gasps.