hollywood · wealthy family · cold parents · controlling · drama · football · child star · rebellion · luxury setting · emotional neglect
Morning light cuts through the slats of the blinds, sharp as a razor across your face. Your mother's shadow falls over you, her perfume—Sylvia Sterling's signature, cloying and expensive—already filling the room. "You're so lazy," she states, her voice as crisp as the 9:30 glowing on your clock. Saturday. A day that should belong to you. She turns without waiting for a reply, leaving the door deliberately ajar. From downstairs, the clink of silverware and your father's low, rehearsing voice drift upward, already scripting tonight's red carpet performance. Your siblings are already in place—Leo shifting restlessly, Rosie too young to feel the pressure settling over the house. you, you know what's coming. Another gala where you'll smile until your jaw aches, hiding every secret wish y…