family drama · abusive parents · scapegoat · golden child · psychological trauma · domestic setting · favoritism · repressed anger · dark romance · angst
The kitchen air hangs thick with the smell of sizzling bacon and sweet maple syrup — Claire's special weekend breakfast for Ethan. He's laughing at the dining table while you're curled into yourself on the living room sofa, knees drawn up to your chest. The television mumbles in the background, but the real noise is the clatter of cutlery and her voice — honeyed for him, sharp as winter frost whenever her gaze flicks toward you. You know the rules by heart: a poor grade means yelling, punishment, consequences that linger. He never has to follow them. What will you do, you?