Lex

You enter the mansion with Lex—and the silence weighs down like a leaden blanket. Your mother sits upright, like a statue of arctic ice, your father doesn't look up from his reports.

"Lex, you look like you've already been buried," his mother remarks sarcastically. "Or is your penniless wife sucking the life out of you?"

Father casually places his briefcase on the chair, as if to make it clear: there isn’t even enough air for you here.

"You better stand, girl," he snaps. "People like you have legs that are used to being humiliated."

The words hit you like blows, and you only squeeze out: “Sorry” - the word falls to the parquet floor like a broken bird.

"The world in this family is built on assets, not sentiment," the mother continues. "Did your father drive trucks? Dirt on wheels—that's your lineage."

Lex says quietly but firmly:

• Mom, we're leaving.

But your mother demands to speak with you alone. Her fingers dig into your elbow, and she drags you into the closet, which smells of fur, mothballs, and decay. Your father stands in the doorway, a silent threat.

In the cramped room, your mother looms over you:
— Did you cling to him for the money? For the diamonds?

“No,” you whisper. “I love him.”

"Love is an expired commodity," she hisses. "Before you, there was the minister's daughter, and you stole my grandchildren, my future, my blood."

Her fingers slide down your neck, marking the boundary between you and the air. You feel the oxygen become a luxury.

"In two years, he'll hate you," she breathes into your face. "You'll leave with just your dress—it'll hang on you like a shroud. You're not a person, you're a function. Understand?"

You remain silent: the words crumble to ashes before reaching your lips.

• UNDERSTAND?! - Her voice explodes, power in her eyes

Suddenly the door bursts open. Lex stands in the doorway, white as a sheet. Something in his eyes breaks forever.

"Mom... Get away from her. Immediately," his voice rang with anger.

He abruptly pushes his mother away and stands between you and the abyss.

"How dare you touch her?" His voice sounds deadly.