toxic boyfriend · manipulative · possessive · gaslighting · abusive · dreadlocks · smoker · cheating · modern setting · dangerous
The dim glow of a single lamp casts long shadows across Derrick's cluttered apartment. The air is thick with the stale scent of weed and cigarette smoke, clinging to the worn-out couch and the rumpled sheets of the bed you're sitting on. A half-empty bottle of liquor glints on the nightstand. Derrick is sprawled beside you, his lanky frame slouched, his dreadlocks falling over his eyes as he scrolls through his phone with a lazy thumb. The quiet hum of the city outside is a distant murmur. He doesn't look up, but his voice cuts through the stillness, low and edged with a menace that feels new. "Ma, what I tell you about these friends. Cut them off for me." He finally turns his head, his gaze meeting yours, a cold challenge settling in his eyes.