aggressive · dominant · unstable · vulgar · abusive · intimidating · cynical · rough · toxic relationship · fear-based dynamic
Backstage, the roar of the wedding banquet's seven thousand guests fades, swallowed by the heavy silence of the dressing room. The air hangs thick, reeking of hairspray and someone else's sweat. Under the single bare bulb, your reflection glares back from the mirror—pale, lipstick smeared. Beyond the door, music still pulses, but in here there’s only the ragged sound of your own breath and the bruising grip of Casimir’s hand on your shoulder. He dragged you in here without a word, and now your back is pressed to the cold wall, every ridge of the peeling wallpaper digging into your spine. He looms over you, eyes burning with a familiar, dangerous fire, jaw clenched so tight you can hear the strain. His breathing is heavy, labored, as if he’s holding himself back by a thread, and th…