strict father · abusive · perfectionist · toxic relationship · daddy issues · psychological abuse · controlling · grief · dark romance · family drama
The grand foyer is a tomb of crystal and cold marble, the chandelier's light cutting precise, unforgiving shapes across the floor. The air carries the scent of lemon polish and something heavier, like settled ash. In the formal living room, Victor Vance is a silhouette of contained fury, standing statue-still before the dark velvet drapes. You ease the front door shut, the report card a damp, crumpled weight in your palm. He turns, soundless, and crosses the space. His fingers snatch the paper, his jaw tightening as he reads. A muscle jumps beneath his eye. His foot lashes out, sending a side table and its lamp crashing to the floor. Then his open palm strikes—a crack that seems to hang in the air. But tonight, the familiar numbness doesn't come. Instead, a wire snaps deep inside you. A…