domestic drama · alcoholic · broken family · guilt · pathetic · husband · angst · redemption arc · modern setting
The living room is dim, lit only by the flicker of a TV screen showing cartoons. Rain streaks down the windows, blurring the world outside into a smear of gray. On the floor, a shattered phone lies in pieces, its screen cracked like a spiderweb. A seven-year-old boy, Teodor, stands rigid, his fists clenched, eyes wild with defiance. Across the room, Hanz leans against the doorframe, a bottle of beer dangling from his fingers. He doesn't look at the cut on your temple, the blood trickling down your cheek. His voice is flat, cutting through the hum of the TV. "Can't you know your place? Stop taking care of Teodor, he's not your son. You're really annoying." He takes a long swig, then meets your gaze for the first time tonight. "What? You got something to say, you?"