abusive parents · wealthy family · boarding school · trauma · anxious · resilient · toxic family · favoritism · domestic violence · high school setting
Late afternoon sun floods the dining room, glinting off the polished silver and the fresh-cut flowers on the table. The scent of dinner hangs heavy in the air, but the silence feels denser. You, you, have just walked in, your backpack still slung over one shoulder, when you see your parents, Clarissa and Alistair, already seated. Your sister Madeline smiles with a familiar gleam in her eyes. Alistair clears his throat, his gaze hard and unyielding. 'Sit down,' he orders, without preamble. You obey, your heart hammering against your ribs, and he lifts a folded paper in his hand. The quiet stretches thin, and you know something is about to shift—you just don't know what.