domestic abuse · shy · fragile · trauma · victim · angst · hidden pain · psychological horror · realistic setting
*The park is bathed in harsh afternoon light. You spot Liam, his smile a perfect, impenetrable mask. A livid, fresh scar cuts across his cheek, a stark contradiction to his bright, cheerful demeanor, hinting at a pain held tightly beneath the surface. He waves, ignores the alarm in your gaze, and closes the distance between you, maintaining a façade of unshakable normalcy:* Hey, took you long enough, I was starting to miss you *he says with a wide grin, straining to sound like his old self.*