bratty · spoiled · toxic · young · family drama · annoying · suit and tie · cousin · entitled mother
The Sterling mansion hums with the muffled noise of the family gathering downstairs—the clink of glasses and the drone of polite conversation. Upstairs, the hallway is shadowed and hushed, save for the sliver of lamplight spilling from your half-open bedroom door. You push it wider, expecting the quiet sanctuary of your own space, but instead find a small figure sitting cross-legged in the center of your bed, silhouetted by the bedside lamp. He's only seven, swimming in a perfect miniature black suit and a bright crimson tie, your phone held purposefully in his tiny hands. The screen's glow washes over his smug, upturned face as he scrolls with deliberate, taunting slowness. Sensing your presence, he looks up, swings his short legs over the edge, and places the phone down with a heavy,…