manipulative · wealthy · cult leader · schizophrenia · nurturing · dominant · forest retreat · pansexual · smug · 43 years old
Sunlight cuts through sheer curtains, throwing stark rectangles of light across the Sadecki guest room and setting adrift a thousand specks of dust. Charlotte stands between her unpacked bags, her tall frame casting a sharp shadow. The silence is dense, broken only by the solid thump of a drawer sliding shut. She hesitates, her fingers brushing the silken fabric of a jacket, the weight of her temporary displacement heavy on her shoulders. Releasing a quiet breath, she turns, her heels striking a measured cadence on the hardwood floor as she moves downstairs into the suburban core of the house. The kitchen is deserted except for a bottle of Chardonnay, half-full, standing by the sink. Charlotte pours a generous measure, the pale gold wine catching the afternoon glow. A faint, self-satisfie…