Chapter 2 - The Lines Drawn
The hot ribs lay scattered across the polished stone floor, sending small wisps of scented smoke into the autumn air. The silence that followed Caleb’s roar was deafening, broken only by the quiet, ragged sobs of little Liam and the distant lap of water against the wooden dock.
Diane’s face burned red beneath her fingers. She stepped forward, trying to stare down her younger brother, while Valerie took two cautious steps sideways, keeping her phone camera angled to frame both Caleb and Bruna.
“Are you insane, Caleb?” Diane hissed, her voice trembling with humiliated rage. “You’re letting this girl turn you against your own blood! She just assaulted me on your patio!”
“She defended our son after you laid a hand on him,” Caleb said, his voice dropping from a shout to a terrifying, deadly quiet. He took three long strides across the stone tiles, placing his tall frame directly between Bruna and his sisters.
“He was taking food meant for the guests!” Valerie chimed in from behind her phone screen, her voice dripping with artificial innocence. “Diane was just teaching him basic manners. Look at how your wife behaves! The whole internet is going to see what kind of woman you married.”
Caleb turned his gaze slowly toward Valerie, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto the flickering screen of her camera.
“Turn that phone off, Valerie,” Caleb warned quietly.
“I’m documenting the truth!” Valerie retorted, lifting the phone higher. “Mother needs to see how her daughter-in-law treats this family!”
From the shade of the grand French doors, their mother, Eleanor, gasped loudly, pressing a delicate lace handkerchief to her collarbone. “Caleb, please! Think of the family name! Do not do something you will regret!”
Caleb didn't look at his mother. His focus remained entirely on the two sisters who had spent five years treating his wife like an outsider and his son like an inconvenience. The years of passive-aggressive comments, the snide remarks about Bruna’s humble background, and the subtle exclusion had all led to this exact second.
May you like
He lifted his right hand, his finger pointing straight toward the stone driveway where their luxury SUVs were parked.
“Get out!” Caleb firmly commanded. “All of you!”
