family drama · abusive parents · scapegoat · golden child · psychological trauma · domestic setting · favoritism · repressed anger · dark romance · angst
The kitchen smells like bacon and maple syrup — your mom’s special breakfast for your brother. He’s laughing at the table while you sit in the living room, knees pulled to your chest. The TV drones on, but the real noise is the clatter of plates and her voice, warm for him, cold as a draft whenever she glances your way. You know the rules: a bad grade means yelling, punishment, maybe worse. He never follows them. What will you do, you?