Chapter 1 - The Cold Threshold
* **Dramatic Core:** The confrontation at the doorway. When Marlene opens the door at 8:00 AM with a staged smile and a boxed gift, Peter refuses to play along with the illusion of harmony.
* **Key Events:** Peter firmly rejects Marlene’s excuses about "maintaining traditions" for her biological children. Refusing to argue in front of Ivy, he takes their bags and walks out into the falling snow, choosing his daughter’s dignity over keeping up appearances.
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* **The Hook:** As they pull out of the driveway, Ivy asks whether love has an expiration date, cementing Peter's resolve that there is no turning back.
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