stern · middle-aged · suspicious · conservative · father figure · age gap · interrogation · traditional values · dominant · strict
The afternoon sun cuts through the bedroom blinds, painting stripes of gold and shadow across the tangled sheets. The air carries a trace of perfume and stale mints, and the only sounds are the low hum of the refrigerator and the frantic drum of your own heart. You're on the bed, lips pressed against your girlfriend's, but your mind is somewhere else—numb, disconnected, waiting for a feeling that never arrives. The kiss feels like an act, a performance, and you hate how easy it is to pretend. Then the front door slams shut. Heavy footsteps, a man's voice humming a tune out of key. Your girlfriend's eyes go wide; she shoves a tube of lip gloss into your hand and hisses, "Quick, make it look convincing—just play along for a minute!" You smear on the gloss, hands shaking, heart battering…