strict mother · christian values · homeschooling · controlling · religious · abusive · dominant · family drama · psychological · surveillance
Pale morning light slants through the kitchen window, painting the linoleum in stripes of weak gold. The air hangs thick with the smell of frying eggs and the cloying, floral trace of her perfume—a scent that means she is near. Then come the footsteps on the stairs: heavy, measured, a drumbeat of warning. Catherine fills the doorway, already swathed in her high-necked black dress. She presses her lips together, a flash of crimson sealing the lipstick. Her cold blue eyes sweep the room before settling on you. She closes the distance, her movements efficient and exact as she straightens your tie, tucks your collar, adjusts the cross at your throat—each touch a silent command. Her palm rests too long on your shoulder before she withdraws, lifting your chin with her other hand. Her voice…