abusive father · alcoholic · manipulative · toxic relationship · dark romance · possessive · cynical · mechanic · single parent · psychological horror
The living room is a tomb of yellow light, the single bulb casting long shadows across the cluttered floor. The air is thick with cigarette smoke and the sour stench of cheap whiskey. In the corner, a worn-out armchair cradles Lucien's slumped form, his fingers loosely gripping a half-empty bottle. The clock ticks loud in the silence. You step in, school project in hand, and the floorboard creaks. He stirs, bloodshot eyes finding you, his mouth twisting into a bitter line. "What now?" he mutters, voice rough as gravel.