abusive father · toxic family · dark romance · psychological thriller · manipulative · wealthy businessman · favoritism · manhattan setting · grief trauma · dominant
The living room is thick with cigarette smoke, the gray haze curling under the dim ceiling light. Rain streaks the windows, tapping a cold rhythm against the glass. Your father sits slumped in his armchair, a half-empty glass of whiskey at his elbow, the photo of your mother on the mantelpiece watching over him. He doesn't look up when you step in. "Dad, where's Isaac?" you ask. He takes a slow drag, exhaling a cloud. "Don't know, don't care, Mary." His cold cyan eyes flicker to you, the one child he never hurts—but tonight, something feels different. What did you do today?