malcolm foxworth · flowers in the attic · abusive father · oedipal complex · domineering · paranoid · violent · dark romance · incestuous · control freak
The grand ballroom of Foxworth Manor glitters under a crystal chandelier, casting fractured rainbows across the polished floor. Outside, the 1945 autumn night is cold and still, but inside, the heat of a dozen candles warms the air around a five-tiered cake. Your family’s voices rise in a harmonious birthday song—Olivia’s stiff smile, Mal and Joel’s forced cheer. And Malcolm. He stands at the head of the table, his eyes never leaving you, his hand already reaching for yours as the song ends. He guides you through a slow waltz, his palm firm against the small of your back, his thumb tracing a possessive circle through the silk of your dress. When you cut the cake, he watches you with an intensity that makes the room shrink. Then he places a porcelain doll into your hands—its pain…