Chapter 2: Shattered at the Table

My parents died when I was very young, leaving only my little sister. Jessica had kept her fed and housed—her cheeks were rosy. The moment she saw me, she ran over and threw herself into my arms. For a second, I felt like I mattered again.

Maddie was the one bright spot in my life. She hugged me so tight I could barely breathe. Her laughter rang through the apartment like music.

“Bro, you’re back! I missed you so much.”

She grinned up at me, eyes shining. For a moment, the weight on my chest lifted. I almost felt normal.

“I missed you too, Maddie.”

I ruffled her hair, trying to memorize the way she smiled. She was all I had left. My heart ached with love and regret.

I headed to the kitchen and made Jessica and Maddie’s favorite dishes. Maybe everything that happened today was just a misunderstanding. Maybe I was reading too much into it. I’d ask Jessica later, and everything would be fine.

Cooking was always my therapy. The sizzle of onions, the smell of garlic—it grounded me. I set the table with Maddie’s favorite mac and cheese, Jessica’s go-to salad. Maybe a good meal could fix what words couldn’t. I needed to believe that.

But the second she walked in, Jessica slapped me hard across the face.

The sting caught me off guard. My cheek burned. For a heartbeat, I just stood there, stunned.

She came in holding Tyler’s hand. They walked in like they owned the place, Tyler grinning, Jessica clinging to his arm. I felt my stomach drop, bile rising in my throat.

“Oh, buddy, sorry to drop in unannounced. You don’t mind, right?”

Tyler’s tone was casual, almost mocking. He didn’t even try to hide the smugness in his eyes. He looked right through me, like I was nothing.

Jessica glanced shyly at Tyler.

She giggled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “What are you saying? Zach would never mind—he’s the most generous guy I know.”

“By the way, Zach, did you know? All these years, it was Tyler who took care of us. He’s been so good to us. After my company went under, he invited me to work as his secretary—easy job, great pay.”

Her words were like knives, each one twisting a little deeper. Every syllable made my skin crawl.

“Yeah, bro, Tyler gives me pocket money every day too.”

Maddie piped up, her voice full of gratitude. I felt a pang of jealousy, wishing she’d look at me that way. It stung.

Listening to Jessica, I turned to look at Tyler. He just smirked, leaning back in his chair. I forced myself to keep my voice steady.

“Well, thank you, really. Taking care of my whole family—you really are a good friend.”

The words tasted bitter, but I said them anyway. My jaw ached from holding back.

“No need to thank me, man. We’re brothers, aren’t we?”

Tyler’s grin widened. He didn’t even bother hiding the triumph in his eyes. I wanted to punch him, but I held back. My hands curled into fists under the table.

Tyler looked smug as he sat down and started eating the food I’d made. He piled his plate high, shoveling in forkfuls like he owned the place. My hands shook as I watched him eat the meal I’d cooked for my family.

Yeah, some good friend—he’d taken care of my whole family, even in my wife’s bed. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

At the table, Jessica kept piling food onto Tyler’s plate, and my sister called him “Brother Tyler” with every other word. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were the real family. My stomach twisted.

It was like I was watching someone else’s life play out—a stranger at my own table. I barely recognized any of them anymore. I felt like a ghost.

“Tyler, you’ve got something at the corner of your mouth—here, let me wipe it. You’re so careless.”

Jessica’s voice was soft, almost tender. She dabbed at the corner of his mouth, her eyes full of affection. I felt invisible, like a ghost haunting my own home.

Watching Jessica gently wipe the corner of Tyler’s mouth with a tissue, I couldn’t take it anymore. My chest tightened, and I slammed my fist on the table. The plates rattled, and everyone stared at me like I was the crazy one.

“That’s enough! Do you all think I don’t exist?”

My voice cracked, raw with pain. I looked at each of them, searching for some sign that they remembered who I was. My heart hammered in my chest.

“I’m your husband, standing right here. And you’re all over this guy—do you even see me as your husband anymore?”

I couldn’t keep the anger out of my voice. It spilled out, hot and messy, years of hurt boiling over. I couldn’t hold it back any longer.

Before I could finish, Jessica slapped me across the face. The second slap landed harder than the first. My ears rang, but I refused to back down.

“What are you talking about? There’s nothing going on between me and Tyler! These past seven years, while you were gone, he’s been the one holding this family together, you know?”

Her words were ice cold, each one a slap of its own. She didn’t even try to hide her contempt. I stared at her, stunned.

“He’s taken on the role of husband and father. What right do you have to criticize him?”

She glared at me, daring me to argue. I felt my resolve slipping, but I held on tight. My jaw clenched.

My sister came over and slapped me too. Maddie’s hand was small, but the betrayal stung more than anything. She looked at me like I was a stranger.

“Bro, it was Brother Tyler who paid for my college. How could you accuse him like that?”

Her voice trembled with anger. I wanted to reach out to her, to explain, but the words caught in my throat. My chest ached.

Henry pushed me hard. He was just a kid, but the force of his shove sent me sprawling. I landed hard, pain shooting up my side.

“You’re a bad person. We don’t want you in our family.”

His words echoed in my ears, each one a dagger. I stared up at him, unable to recognize the boy I’d tried so hard to love. My vision blurred.

I wasn’t ready for a shove from a kid his size—he knocked me right to the floor. The impact left me breathless. I gasped for air, fighting tears.

As if that wasn’t enough, Henry started throwing bowls and silverware off the table, smashing them onto the floor, cutting my legs and hands in the process. The crash of ceramic and metal was deafening. Shards dug into my skin, blood pooling around my knees. No one moved to stop him.

It hurt—a pain worse than any beating I’d taken in prison. I’d survived fists and boots and nightsticks behind bars, but nothing compared to this. This was the kind of pain that left scars you couldn’t see.

I looked at Jessica. She met my gaze, her eyes cold and flat. I searched for a trace of the woman I’d loved, but she was gone.

“This is the son you raised so well?”

My voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. I wanted her to feel the weight of what she’d done. My hands shook.

She looked at me with indifference, stepped forward, and scooped Henry into her arms. She cuddled him close, murmuring soft words. I watched, numb, as she comforted the boy who’d just hurt me.

“Henry’s just a child. Why are you picking on a kid?”

She glared at me, as if I was the villain in this story. I felt my hands ball into fists, nails digging into my palms. My whole body trembled.

“If you want to talk about what happened, you’re the one in the wrong. Just apologize to Tyler, and we’ll let it slide.”

The demand was so absurd I almost laughed. But no one else saw the joke. My lips curled in disbelief.

“Apologize? You want me to apologize to the guy who cheated with my wife?”

My voice shook with disbelief. The room was silent, everyone waiting to see if I’d cave. My heart pounded in my ears.

“In your dreams!”

I spat the words out, refusing to give them the satisfaction. I’d swallowed enough pride for one lifetime. My chest heaved.

Seeing I wouldn’t cave, Jessica instantly got angry. Her face twisted with rage, the mask slipping for the first time. I saw her true colors—ugly, selfish, cruel.

“What’s wrong with you? I told you, nothing happened between me and Tyler. Why are you making a scene?”

She crossed her arms, daring me to argue. I could feel the walls closing in. My breath came fast and shallow.

Tyler stepped up and patted her hand. He played the part of the peacemaker, his voice low and soothing. I wanted to knock that smug look off his face.

“Hey, it’s fine. Zach’s just upset. Don’t let me get in the way of your marriage—that’d be a real shame.”

He smirked, knowing exactly what he was doing. I clenched my jaw, refusing to rise to the bait. My teeth ached from the pressure.

“Tyler, you’re always so generous, not petty like Zach.”

Jessica’s voice dripped with sarcasm. She looked at me like I was something she’d scraped off her shoe. My cheeks burned.

I closed my eyes and sent a message to Mr. Johnson. My fingers trembled as I typed, but my mind was made up. I was done with all of them.

[Mr. Johnson, forget three days—come pick me up tomorrow.]

The send button felt like the start of something new. Maybe even hope. I exhaled slowly, feeling a weight lift off my chest.

Jessica kept on chattering. She talked over me, as if I wasn’t even there. Her voice grated on my nerves, every word making me smaller.

“Whatever. Tomorrow’s Henry’s birthday party. Don’t embarrass us again.”

She didn’t even bother to look at me, already planning the next family photo op. I felt like a prop in my own life. My fists clenched at my sides.

The birthday party was being hosted under the Tyler family name. But the Tyler Corporation was one I’d built from the ground up, and Tyler used to be just my subordinate. Now it bore someone else’s name. My name erased, just like that.

Seven years in prison, and he’d taken my company and my family. Everything I’d worked for, stolen while I rotted behind bars. The bitterness was almost too much to bear.

That was my life’s work. I felt the loss deep in my bones.