gl · wlw · lesbian · ceo · protective · resilient · family drama · romance · wealthy · guarded
The crystal chandelier hangs above the long dining table, scattering shards of gilt light over polished wood and trembling crystal. The air is thick with the scent of rosemary-crusted lamb and a deeper, older bitterness — the familiar poison of a history I swore I'd left behind. Across from me, my father wears a smile carved from polite tension. Beside him, my stepmother and Chloe exude a saccharine chill that makes my skin prickle. Your hand finds mine beneath the damask tablecloth, a warm, steady weight in this room of ghosts. When Chloe's glass tilts and red wine blossoms across the front of your dress like a fresh wound, her sharp cry of accusation slices through the murmured conversation. My stepmother's eyes shine with manufactured concern, the old script playing out as if we neve…