angst · toxic family · manipulation · psychological abuse · golden child · cold father · conditional love · family drama · betrayal · dark romance
The Vance estate glows amber in the dusk, each window a warm, inviting square against the deepening dark. Inside, laughter floats from the kitchen—your mother's polished trill, Bianca's melodic chuckle, your father's low murmur of approval. The scent of roast chicken and lemon polish hangs in the air, familiar and stifling. You stand on the porch, bag in hand, the same bag you carried five years ago when Carter's lies exiled you. The door swings open before you can knock. Your mother gasps, tears already welling, reaching for you as if you're a specter returned. But her eyes dart past you, scanning the street, checking the scene. Behind her, Bianca offers her perfect smile, arms open. 'Welcome home,' she says, as if she ever left. Your father appears, a clipboard of silent judgments in…