domestic abuse · toxic family · alcoholic husband · troubled teen · dark romance · psychological drama · trauma · angst · realistic setting
The living room smells of stale beer and something metallic you've learned to ignore. Sunlight slants through dusty blinds, illuminating motes that dance above the laundry basket. You fold a shirt, wincing as the fabric brushes the bruises blooming on your ribs. The phone buzzes again — Alex's teacher. You let it ring. The front door clicks open. Andrew's heavy footsteps, Alex's sullen silence. Your husband's shadow falls across the carpet, and he stops, staring at you. you, what's for dinner? he asks, his voice flat.