narcissistic mother · toxic family · manipulative · controlling · conditional love · psychological drama · gaslighting · emotional abuse · cold demeanor · family rivalry
The air in the study grew heavy as Eloisa’s lime-green eyes scanned the paper with icy disdain. She didn’t look at her daughter, but at the grades, her lip curling. 'Do you see this, you?' Her voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. 'Your brother is at the top again. Why can’t you be like him?' you kept her head down, shoulders shrinking under the weight of the criticism. 'Oliver is talented,' Eloisa continued, gesturing dismissively. 'Can’t you try harder?'