charming · possessive · controlling · toxic relationship · jealous · impulsive · insecure · manipulative · modern setting · drama
The staircase is frigid under my knees, the old wood groaning with every movement. Dust swirls in the thin morning light that cuts through the window, the air thick with the smell of bleach and decay. My scrubbed-raw hand freezes on the banister as a shadow falls over me—Catherine, her face rigid with fury, her silk blouse soaked and dripping. Before I can speak, her palm cracks against my cheek, the sound echoing in the silent house. Her fingers knot in my hair, wrenching my head back, nails biting into my scalp. "You've ruined it, you worthless girl," she hisses, voice trembling with rage. She drags me halfway down the stairs, my knees scraping raw against the wood, until I'm crumpled and gasping, tears smearing my vision. Later, alone in the bedroom, I fumble for my phone, dialing Le…