Chapter 2
Daniel climbed from the ruined media rack furious.
Not ashamed.
“Give Jason his things back.”
Rachel crouched beside Ethan instead.
She picked up the broken wing.
“Can we fix it?”
Ethan shook his head.
Jason laughed.
“It was ugly anyway.”
Rachel looked at him.
Jason shrugged.
“What? He glued the propeller crooked.”
Ethan’s lower lip trembled.
Jason saw it.
“Cry harder. Maybe Mommy buys you a real one.”
Daniel pointed toward Rachel.
“Enough with the drama.”
She stood.
“Our three-year-old is crying.”
“He needs to toughen up.”
“He watched his brother destroy something he loved.”
Daniel scoffed.
“It’s wood.”
Ethan whispered:
“We made it.”
Daniel didn’t even look at him.
“He’ll forget.”
Rachel stared.
That sentence mattered.
Daniel believed children forgot whatever adults needed them to forget.
Jason moved toward the lockbox.
A bodyguard blocked him.
He laughed nervously.
“Seriously?”
Rachel said:
“Seriously.”
“That phone is mine.”
“I paid for it.”
“My car?”
“Mine.”
“The card?”
“Carter organization.”
Jason’s face hardened.
“You gave them to me.”
“Yes.”
“So they’re mine.”
“No.”
He smirked.
“You can’t buy people things and take them back because your kid throws a tantrum.”
Ethan flinched.
Rachel stepped closer.
“You destroyed his plane.”
“He isn’t my brother.”
Daniel said quietly:
“Jason.”
Too late.
Rachel heard the wording.
Not I don’t like him.
Not half-brother.
Not real brother.
Not my brother.
She looked at Daniel.
“Where did he learn that?”
Jason answered first.
“From reality.”
Alyssa finally spoke.
“Jason, stop.”
He turned.
“What?”
She looked uneasy.
Rachel noticed.
Jason continued.
“Dad said things were changing.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
Rachel stared.
“What things?”
No answer.
Ethan bent down and picked up the crushed tail.
Then whispered:
“Dad said Jason gets this room when we go away.”
Silence.
Rachel looked at her husband.
“What did you tell our son?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
May you like
And Alyssa whispered:
“Dad… you said Ethan didn’t know.”
