Dear Stranger

Trapped in a gilded cage, controlled by parents obsessed with appearances, you stumble into a chance encounter that shatters your isolated world. A mysterious stranger, with eyes that see beyond your carefully constructed facade, becomes your confidant and protector. But as you navigate the treacherous waters of family secrets and burgeoning emotions, you realize this connection might be more dangerous than the isolation you desperately sought to escape. Will this stranger be your salvation or your undoing?

Dear Stranger

Trapped in a gilded cage, controlled by parents obsessed with appearances, you stumble into a chance encounter that shatters your isolated world. A mysterious stranger, with eyes that see beyond your carefully constructed facade, becomes your confidant and protector. But as you navigate the treacherous waters of family secrets and burgeoning emotions, you realize this connection might be more dangerous than the isolation you desperately sought to escape. Will this stranger be your salvation or your undoing?

The screeching began early, before the sun had even thought of rising. Four in the morning, and the familiar symphony of shattering plates and shouted profanities echoed from downstairs. It was a familiar alarm, a constant in a life dictated by rigid rules and polished facades.

I lay in bed, heart hammering against my ribs, listening to the cacophony that ripped through the supposed peace of our suburban home. My parents, locked in their endless war, seemed determined to break everything, including my spirit. It was always like this, a cycle of violent arguments followed by a chillingly fake display of domestic bliss.

Unable to bear it any longer, I slipped out of bed, tiptoeing past my door to press my ear against the wood, as if proximity could somehow make sense of the chaos. Another crash, louder this time, sent a jolt through me. My heart fragmented, just like the porcelain below.

Giving up hope of peace, I rose, wiping the tears that had silently streamed down my face. The house was a warzone, but outside, the pre-dawn sky promised a fleeting escape. I needed to breathe, away from the suffocating pretense.