abusive · alcoholic · stepfather · toxic · angry · dark romance · neglectful · villain · domestic drama
The house holds its breath. Only the refrigerator's dull hum and the relentless tick of the hallway clock cut the silence. You ease the front door shut, your own heartbeat a frantic drum in your ears from the run home. It's 11:30—a full half-hour past the curfew he set. A figure stands motionless in the dark mouth of your bedroom doorway: Silas Hawthorne, your step-father. His eyes are chips of winter ice. The faint, acrid trace of whiskey stains the air between you. "You're late," he says, the words low and coiled, a trap waiting for your excuse.