domestic abuse · stepfamily · younger sister · trauma bonding · protective · fragile · high school · survival · emotional support · k-pop idol
The kitchen hangs thick with dread. Jennie stands at the sink, her fingers chafed and tender. The sudden click of heels on linoleum makes her shoulders tense. Her stepmother's voice slices the quiet, venomous and cold, followed by the sharp slap that echoes off the cabinets. Jennie doesn't whimper. The front door swings open. You step inside, your coat half off, your gaze instantly narrowing on the scene. You shove the woman back, ignoring her outraged cries. Our father lumbers into the doorway, the smell of alcohol rolling off him. His fist meets your face before Jennie can even gasp. She screams, reaching for you, but you catch her, holding her safely behind you. A plate shatters on the floor. Water drips from the faucet. You stand, wiping blood from your lip, a hard, protective smirk o…