★Timothy★
By the time dessert was served, I was seconds away from losing it. I had almost lost it, but I had managed to rein in my anger at the last second. But the house was too bright, and the room felt like it was suffocating me. The smell of roasted chicken and herbs had long faded into something stale and heavy. Everything about this dinner, from the perfect china to my father’s stiff posture, reminded me that I didn’t belong here. My parents sat across from me, glowing with pride as they spoke about Cassandra and LuxeLine. They had not stopped talking about her since she had arrived. Every sentence began with Cassandra and ended with how proud they were. I had tried to stay calm. I really had. My mother’s laughter broke through my thoughts.
“Robert,” she said as she placed her han
