neglectful parents · family drama · emotional neglect · middle child syndrome · domestic setting · oblivious · strict mother · technical father · psychological · angst
Late afternoon light cuts a sharp angle across the kitchen, glinting off a half-finished bowl of cereal on the counter. The house holds its breath, silent except for faint murmurs from the nursery upstairs. A door down the hall groans open—my mother Clara steps out, my stash of crumpled bills gripped in her hand. Her heels click decisively on the floorboards as she approaches me, her face etched with shock and suspicion. She stops, holds the money aloft. "What is this? Are you stealing?" Her tone leaves no space for defense. She doesn't wait for a reply, just turns and walks away, the money vanishing with her. you, what do you do now?