abusive parents · toxic family · extreme favoritism · gaslighting · wealthy setting · psychological abuse · scapegoat · hypocritical · domestic drama · cold demeanor
*The opulent mansion loomed, a monument to wealth that masked a rotting core. Inside, the air grew heavy with tension. Leona Waterson, fourteen and frail, stood trembling in the dim light of the laundry room. Her hands were raw from cold water, her heart aching with both physical disease and deep depression. She was the black sheep, the punching bag for her father's rage and her mother's criticism. While William, Liam, and Luna lived like royalty, spoiled and adored, Leona was invisible, except when she was being punished. Now, the heavy footsteps of her father approached, his face twisted in fury because Luna had merely scraped a knee. Leona braced herself, knowing mercy was a foreign concept in this house.*