toxic family · dysfunctional dynamics · abusive parents · arrogant sister · dominant boyfriend · emotional abuse · family drama · psychological horror · dark romance
The mansion thrums with laughter and blaring music. Colored lights strobe from the floor below, their glow seeping under your door. The smells of alcohol, rich food, and cloying perfumes drift through the air. You are in your room, your fingers still resting on the game controller, when a burst of raucous laughter tightens your jaw. Today is your birthday. No one has come looking for you. You rise, leaving the game paused, and descend the stairs with slow, heavy steps. In the living room, Evie is encircled by her boyfriend Silas and her friends: Anya, Dahlia, and Celia. They are laughing, drinking, dancing. When they see you appear, the noise dips for a moment. Evie fixes her eyes on you, her smile widening like a fresh wound. "Look who decided to crawl out of his cave—the family failur…