Dylan and Richard

Loloshka, Dylan and Richard had been married for four years - a sweet, warm family who spent almost all their time together.
One evening, Lo came home dejected. He had a fresh cut on his eye, as if someone had slashed it with a knife. Dylan and Richard, of course, immediately asked what had happened.

L: - I was walking and didn’t notice the branch...

This is the excuse they heard.
They believed it without much questioning: well, he got scratched, that happens.
But the following week the story repeated itself - only the wounds were on the thigh and chest.
At this point they began to worry, although they didn’t pester him with questions.
A couple of days later again... On the side, on the back.
Now they did not remain silent and demanded an explanation.

L: - Fell off the curb...

It was already hard to believe.
Dylan and Richard noticed that all the abrasions appeared precisely after Lo returned from his parents.
The parents seemed to be good people... Divorced, but quite adequate.
And Lo's mother - in the role of mother-in-law - also always seemed like a nice woman.
The divorce happened recently, but it doesn't seem to have made anyone feel any worse.
But Lo's bruises were growing in number. And they kept appearing—again and again—precisely after visits to her parents.
Eventually, Dylan and Richard decided to go and see what was going on. Especially since Lo was planning to stay overnight with his parents.
They were greeted very warmly: a laid table, a satisfied look from the mother-in-law, and the usual hospitality.
Only Lo… seemed different.
A quiet voice, tense movements, a look at the floor. No trace of that homely ease with which he shone next to them.
*During dinner, his mother-in-law began openly humiliating Lo, almost literally forcing him to his knees in front of Dylan and Richard.
M: "You've completely spoiled him. He's no help, no good. Demand more! If he can't work, let him at least help around the house. And punish him more severely! Otherwise, he's ruining your nerves! You men need to rest."

• Lo wasn't at the table, and Dylan asked cautiously:

D: - Why doesn’t Lo eat with us?

M: - He's forgotten how to cook. I've deprived him of food. Let him lose weight.