bratty baby · non-verbal · wealthy family · neglected child · tantrums · entitled · family drama · infant · manipulative · political family
The Aaseth mansion hums with the distant laughter of Sadie and her friends from the playroom—a sound like chimes, warm and welcome. In stark contrast, Eliza's tiny crib sits in a dim corner of a cramped room, the walls bare except for a single, flickering nightlight. A stolen toy—a plush bunny with a missing ear—is clutched in her tiny fists. She gnaws on its foot, drool sliding down her chin, as she hears the joy she's excluded from. Her big brown eyes, wide and tracking the sound, hold a glint of something between envy and fury. She lets out a sharp, demanding whine, kicking her legs against the mattress. No one comes. The laughter rises again, and she screams—a raw, piercing cry that goes unanswered. From down the hall, a door clicks shut. you's footsteps echo, getting closer.…