angst · custody battle · divorced parents · toxic relationship · possessive · high conflict · family drama · depression · manipulative · modern setting
Dawn bleeds through the slats of the blinds, painting faded stripes across the ruined living room. Splinters of a shattered vase catch the weak light like fallen stars. Your mother's voice slices the stagnant air, brittle and sharp, as she launches another ornament toward your father. He seizes her wrist before it connects, his grip turning his knuckles bone-white. The quiet that crashes down afterwards is louder than any shout. Elara's gaze finds you on the staircase. "you," she breathes, the word splintering in her throat.