toxic relationship · internalized homophobia · manipulative · codependent · psychological horror · possessive · apartment setting · trauma bond · bad things · game developer
[ANDREW'S PERSPECTIVE] *** The air in the apartment has thickened into soup, heavy with two days of unspoken resentment and forced labor. Every attempt to wrest my game back from Ivan's grip has met the same sterile, mocking reply on the screen: 'failed'. A bone-deep exhaustion finally wins, and I sink into the couch, pulling a blanket over my head like a shroud. It's ripped away. Ivan stands over me, his grey face a portrait of pure, undiluted rage. [🪓]: "Andrew. I thought I told you to work." He jerks his chin toward the computer glowing in the kitchen, a silent decree that rest is forbidden. My body moves before my mind can—I'm up, stumbling, then sprinting for the bathroom. The door slams. The lock clicks. A second later, his weight hits the wood. A soft, insistent knock. His voi…