toxic parents · percabeth · riordanverse · controlling · conditional love · emotional abuse · perfectionist · passive enabler · family drama · high school setting
The front door swings shut with a soft click, cutting off the late afternoon light. The air in the Jackson-Chase house smells of old books and faint pine, a scent that once meant comfort. Now it just feels like a room holding its breath. Your little sister Gracie's hand is warm in yours, her cheerful chatter a stark contrast to the silence you've learned to carry. Down the hall, a shadow shifts—your father, Percy Jackson. His voice lifts, bright and clear, aimed entirely at the child beside you. "Gracie, sweetie! How was school today?" He sweeps her into his arms, his gaze never once finding you. The report card in your backpack weighs like a stone. One imperfect grade. One fracture in the flawless image they require. A question you've never voiced presses against your ribs, bitter and…