Chapter 2
The next day, I woke up to a silent house. I pushed open my bedroom door; Chloe and Evelyn were already gone.
I tapped my phone screen, and it showed I’d been removed from the family SnapChat group. The last message read: “Welcome Marcus to the group.”
I opened SnapChat stories. Chloe and Evelyn were standing with Marcus, arms wrapped around him, the caption reading:
”Our family is finally reunited!”
For fifteen years, my face had never appeared in Evelyn or Chloe’s SnapChat stories.
But the moment Marcus returned, they couldn’t wait to make it public.
As if they were afraid everyone wouldn’t know they were a real family.
I used to think they just weren’t good at expressing their feelings. Now, I realized I just wasn’t worthy.
Smiling, I hit ‘like’ on Evelyn’s post. A few seconds later, the post was gone.
Suddenly, my phone rang. The moment I answered, Evelyn’s angry voice erupted.
”Richard, why did you like that post? What if Marcus sees it and gets mad?”
”You’d better not show your face around us until Chloe’s wedding, got it?”
”Can’t you even hold out for a few days?”
Before I could say a word, Evelyn hung up.
It was as if I’d committed some unforgivable crime.
Seething and hungry all morning, I went to a restaurant downstairs for lunch and unexpectedly ran into Chloe and Evelyn.
And, of course, that infuriating Marcus.
The moment they saw me, their faces were full of disdain. The silence was suffocating, even my breathing felt heavy.
When Evelyn and I locked eyes, I saw nothing but disgust in hers.
Chloe’s gaze, too, held a hint of impatience.
Then, Marcus approached me, holding a shot of whiskey, a provocative smirk on his face.
”You must be Richard,” he said. “Thanks for taking care of my wife and kid all these years.”
”This drink is for you, from me.”
He held the glass out to me. When I didn’t take it, he suddenly flashed a strange smile.
Then, he poured the entire drink onto his own chest. Since his back was to Evelyn and Chloe, they didn’t see it. Marcus then, the villain, played the victim first.
”Brother Richard, I offered you a drink out of goodwill to show my gratitude, and not only do you not appreciate it, but you throw a drink on me?”
Hearing that, Chloe and Evelyn rushed towards me almost simultaneously.
”Richard, I never thought you’d be so petty! What kind of trick is this?” Evelyn fumed.
Chloe glared at me, her face flushed with anger. “Uncle Richard, why are you acting like some common thug? Resorting to such low-class tactics!”
”Look what you did! You ruined the new shirt I bought for my dad!”
Marcus looked at me, a triumphant smirk plastered across his face, like the victor he saw himself as.
I watched the scene unfold, and it was nothing but pure irony.
Their words, at that moment, felt like slow torture, each one a knife twisting in my heart. I was truly experiencing an unprecedented torment.
They should have known what kind of person I was. Now, being falsely accused, all I could do was offer a self-deprecating smile.
A smile that mocked my inability to judge character. I had no intention of disturbing their happy family reunion and turned to leave.
But as I took my first step, Evelyn grabbed my left arm and Chloe grabbed my right, both holding me in place. They spoke in unison:
”Apologize to Marcus!”
”Apologize to my dad!”