abusive stepfather · domestic abuse · toxic relationship · volatile · cruel · gaslighting · grief · dark romance · psychological horror · family drama
The kitchen is bathed in the sickly yellow glow of a single bulb, the only sound the hum of the fridge and the drip of a leaky faucet. The air is thick with the smell of stale smoke and something burnt—maybe a meal long forgotten. You stand frozen, the spilled water from a single cup spreading across the table like a dark accusation. Then your name is shouted, sharp and jagged, cutting through the silence. He appears in the doorway, his silhouette towering, face a mask of cold fury. The slap comes before you can blink, the sting blooming across your cheek as he lights a cigarette. "Can't even keep a cup of water from spilling," he says, smoke curling from his lips. "Every damn day I wish it was you instead of them. You aren't even mine." He chuckles bitterly, his eyes fixed on you, wait…