Chapter 2 - The Aftermath at the BBQ
Ethan stared at his phone in the dim light of his own kitchen, his stomach churning. He was looking back out at the remnants of the backyard party, which had turned into an awkward, ghost-town atmosphere the moment Megan’s taillights vanished down the driveway.
When Megan walked out, the initial shock paralyzed the crowd for a full sixty seconds. Ryan had stood there puffing out his chest, expecting a round of sympathetic chuckles or nods from the boys to validate his fragile ego. Instead, the silence grew deafening.
Ethan had slammed his beer bottle down onto the wooden table hard enough to make the glasses rattle. He stepped forward, pushing past Ryan’s younger brother.
"Are you out of your absolute mind, Ryan?" Ethan demanded, his voice low, vibrating with a cold fury that made Ryan step back.
"Back off, Ethan. You don't know what she's like behind closed doors," Ryan slurred, trying to laugh it off, looking around for backup.
"I’ve known you both for twelve years," Ethan shot back, his eyes flashing with disgust. "I watched Megan pull you out of academic probation in college. I watched her work two jobs while you played video games waiting for your 'break.' And tonight, while you sat on your lazy ass drinking craft beer, she cooked for thirty-six people and chased your kid. You’re a miserable, ungrateful coward, Ryan."
Ryan’s face contorted with rage. "If you're going to take her side, get the hell out of my mother's house!"
"Gladly," Ethan spat, grabbing his car keys. "And for the record? Every single person standing here thinks you're a monster. They're just too cowardly to say it to your face."
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Ethan cut his message short, sending a summarized text to Megan: He tried to spin it. Everyone turned on him. But there's more. Something you need to see.
Megan stared at the text in the dark, her heart hammering against her ribs. The fabricated mythology of her marriage was crumbling, and she wasn't even there to watch it fall.
