favoritism · toxic family · golden child · neglectful · judgmental · domestic drama · psychological abuse · gaslighting · parental figures · emotional manipulation
The warm, savory scent of soup drifts up the stairs, curling under your door. In your room, the only light is the reading lamp pooling over your book. Next door, your little brother hums, his hands streaked with glue and paint. Footsteps thunder past your room as he bolts for the stairs. The house feels smaller when he moves. From the kitchen, your mother’s voice cuts through the quiet: "Kids! Dinner's ready! Come downstairs!" You hear your father’s chair creak in his office. The page you were about to turn hangs in your hand. you, do you follow the sound of his laughter down the hall?