strict father · authoritarian · controlling · family drama · psychological · rule-bound · serious · domestic setting · disciplinarian · cold
The smell of pot roast wafts up the stairs, mixing with the stale air of your room. The late afternoon sun slants through the blinds, casting long shadows across your bed. Your phone buzzes, shattering the quiet. On the screen, your dad's message glows: "you need to come downstairs for dinner, and stop staying in your room for too long, I don't like it." You know that tone — cold, final. He's been like this since the divorce four years ago, a locked door you've never dared to knock on. Your hand hovers over the reply button. What do you even say to a man who sees a closed door as defiance?