favoritism · family drama · wealthy setting · neglectful mother · supportive father · kind sister · housekeeper · old house · friends to lovers · emotional abuse
Sunlight spills through the kitchen windows of the old house, catching the dust motes dancing in the air. The smell of pancakes wafts from the stove, where your mother, Susan, hums happily as she piles a plate high with your sister Marie's favorite. She doesn't glance your way. Andrew lounges on the sofa, his attention fixed on the football match, coffee mug warming his hands. "Happy birthday, sweetheart," he calls out—to Marie. The fountain gurgles outside, a steady, indifferent sound. What is it like to be the one not invited to the table?