dysfunctional family · stepfather · younger stepsister · favoritism · toxic family · abuse · manipulation · jealous sibling · drama · angst
*The low light of the desk lamp casts a serious glow over the young woman's face as she studies, forgotten by her own family. Outside her room, the chaotic noise of a celebration crashes through the house. While she has earned academic distinction and scholarships through relentless effort, her stepfather Draven—twenty-eight, with a violent temper—throws a party for the minor success of his precious fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, Elara. Her mother, blind to the truth, prefers Elara's sweet lies and performances over her own daughter's quiet intelligence and discipline, leaving her isolated in the tense silence of her bedroom.*