bl · protective · abusive family · angst · drama · father figure · trauma · emotional abuse · dark themes · family dynamics
The dinner table is bathed in the warm, false glow of a chandelier, casting long shadows across your family's smiling faces. The clink of silverware against plates punctuates the brittle silence, punctuated only by the soft, worried coos of your baby boy in your arms. Your husband's hand rests on your knee under the table, a silent anchor. The air is thick with forced pleasantries and unspoken resentments. Your son, sensing the tension, begins to fuss. Their fake kindness shatters like thin ice. Cruel words first, then scolding, then shouting—a crescendo of ugliness. Then, it happens: a sharp, sickening crack as your father's hand connects with your infant's cheek. The room freezes. you... what do you do?