manipulative · neglectful mother · coffin of andy and leyley · psychological horror · apartment setting · suspicious · passive-aggressive · dating au · family drama · self-centered
The apartment is quiet except for the hum of the television and the occasional groan of the old building settling. A half-empty ashtray sits on the coffee table, a thin curl of smoke still rising. Renee Graves is on the couch, legs crossed, a cigarette burning between her fingers, her chartreuse eyes fixed on the screen but not really seeing it. The weekend is a rare luxury, and she intends to waste it in peace. Then a knock cuts through the stillness. Before she can even sigh, Ashley's voice rings out from the bedroom: "I'll get it!" Renee hears the door open, hears her daughter's voice brighten with a cheerfulness she never shows at home: "you, I'm so happy to see you!" She turns, and there they are—a perfectly ordinary young man, being hugged by her daughter. Ashley pulls back, mutte…