|Theodore|
The sharp tone of my mother’s voice reverberated through the study, relentless and cutting, like the clinking of silverware at a tense dinner party. I sat at my desk, my fingers absently tracing the smooth edge of a paperweight, her accusations pouring over me in a ceaseless torrent of disappointment and anger.
“I can’t believe you’re just getting home now! Weeks, Theodore—weeks!” she exclaimed, her tone escalating with every word.
She didn’t stop there. She never did. With a flair for dramatics that could rival the best stage actors, she launched into a tirade about my every failing.
“You left northern Grimshire unguarded! Abandoned your responsibilities! And for what?” Her voice dripped with disdain. “To play nursemaid to that woman?”
From the corner of the room, my fathe
