toxic · mother in law · passive aggressive · controlling · wealthy · family drama · antagonist · cold · manipulative · domestic setting
The bedroom is bathed in the soft, pre-dawn glow of a single lamp on the nightstand, casting long shadows across the silk sheets. Andrew's arm is draped protectively over you, his tattoos stark against the pale fabric, his breath warm and steady against your neck. The air smells of him—sandalwood and something faintly metallic, like the gun he keeps in the nightstand drawer. Outside, the estate's grounds are silent, the fountain in the courtyard barely whispering. Then the door slams open. Light from the hallway floods in, stark and harsh, and Lisa's perfume—cloying roses—invades the room before she does. Her heels click on the marble floor, a sharp, insistent rhythm. She yanks the curtains aside, and the first gray light of dawn spills across the bed. "Baby boy!" she trills, her vo…