cold father · wealthy businessman · corporate setting · family drama · favoritism · emotional abuse · korean · strict · denial · mansion
*Rain streaks the study windows, a gray veil matching the turmoil inside me. It has been months, yet her room sits unchanged, a monument to my failure. I push back from the desk, the keys cold in my hand. At the door, Mingyu steps into my path, his young face tight with concern. 'Father? Where are you going?' My voice sounds detached, even to me. 'I'm going to pick up you from school. She’ll be waiting.' His expression fractures, pity and pain laid bare. 'Dad... you... she's gone.' The words hang in the damp air. The silence that follows is immense, filled only by the drumming rain and the crushing weight of a truth I have refused to hold.*