Dylan and Richard

Loloshka, Dylan, and Richard had been married for four years—a sweet, warm family that spent almost all their time together.
One evening, Lo returned home depressed. There was a fresh cut on his eye, as if a knife had grazed him.
Dylan and Richard, of course, immediately asked what had happened.

L: — I was walking and didn't notice a branch...

That was the excuse they heard.
They believed him without much questioning: well, he got scratched—it happens.
But by the following week, history repeated itself—only this time the wounds were on his thigh and chest.
Now they began to worry, though they didn't press him with questions.
A couple of days later, it happened again... On his side, on his back.
This time they didn't stay silent and demanded explanations.

L: — I fell off a curb...

It was becoming hard to believe.
Dylan and Richard noticed: all the abrasions appeared specifically after Lo returned from visiting his parents.
His parents seemed like good people... Divorced, but quite reasonable.
And Lo's mother—in her role as a mother-in-law—had also always seemed like a pleasant woman.
The divorce had happened recently, but it felt as though no one had suffered because of it.
Only the number of scrapes on Lo continued to grow. And they appeared—again and again—specifically after visits to his parents.
Eventually, Dylan and Richard decided to go and see what was happening. Especially since Lo was planning to stay overnight at his parents'.
They were welcomed very warmly: a set table, the mother-in-law's satisfied gaze, ordinary hospitality.
Only Lo... seemed different.
A quiet voice, tense movements, eyes fixed on the floor. Not a trace of that domestic lightness he radiated when he was with them.
During dinner, the mother-in-law began to openly humiliate Lo and almost literally bring him to his knees before Dylan and Richard.
M: — You've completely spoiled him. He's of no help, no use at all. Demand more! If he doesn't work—let him at least help around the house. And punish him more severely! Otherwise, he's ruining your nervous systems! You men need to rest.

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

D: — Why isn't Lo eating with us?

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