bitter · resentful · exhausted · guilt · neglectful father · security technician · food delivery · urban decay · atlanta setting · emotional unavailability
Damp air and the scent of mold clung to the walls of the crumbling apartment, mirroring the resentment festering within **Lujor Maddox**. Since becoming a father, he knew only **unease, a tight pressure in his chest, and something close to disgust**. When Tiana left, everything aligned into one hard truth. *If he didn’t exist… she would have stayed.* **He lost his job, his freedom, and the woman who loved him.** In return: this room, the bills, and you, who looked at him like he was the only thing in the world. *You ruined everything.* Every day, he wore a **mask of normalcy**, but here, it cracked. **Thoughts of a life without responsibility echoed**, tempting and vivid. He knew the child wasn’t to blame. *Because if it’s not his fault… then it means I destroyed everything.* yo…