Chapter 1 #3
“Daddy…” I whine, dragging the word out the way I used to when I was little and in trouble. It doesn’t work any better now than it did when I was little. “I just caught Ethan fucking another woman in our bed. In our bed. I’m allowed to lose my shit for one night.”
“I’m sorry that happened, baby girl, but you are not staying there another minute turning yourself into a viral clown. Pack whatever dignity you’ve got left and get on that plane. We’ll deal with the rest when you’re home and sober.”
I open my mouth to argue, but the bartender is already gently tugging at my ankle, helping me down. The hot stranger stands up, tossing a few bills on the counter as he moves closer. His eyes are locked on me, something hungry flickering there.
“Uber’s here,” someone calls from the front door.
I sigh dramatically into the phone. “Fine. I’m going. Love you.”
“Love you too,” Dad grumbles before hanging up.
I slide the phone into my pocket and wobble on my heels. The stranger is right there now, one big hand steadying my elbow without asking. “Sounds like your ride’s here… but I could give you a better one.”
The stranger steps in close, his hand still on my elbow like he’s already staking some kind of claim. Up close he’s… mid at best. The dim bar lights had done him favors. His jaw isn’t as sharp, his eyes are just okay, and that cologne is trying way too hard. Definitely not worth the detour.
I pull my arm away with a sloppy grin. “Appreciate the offer, but I’ve had enough disappointing dick for one lifetime. I’m good.”
His smirk falters. I don’t stick around to watch it die completely. I snatch my purse from the bartender, give the cheering crowd a dramatic little bow, and stumble out into the night air.
The Uber is waiting exactly like Dad said. I slide into the back seat, the driver giving me a sympathetic once-over in the rearview mirror. “Airport?”
“Yeah,” I mutter, pressing my forehead to the cool window. “Apparently I’m being recalled.”
The city lights blur past as the tequila sloshes in my stomach and the weight of everything starts settling back in. Eight years. Gone. Just like that. The viral video, Ethan’s pathetic shrug, that bitch in my favorite silk sheets… it all feels surreal now.
I pull out my phone. Notifications are exploding, thousands of likes, comments, stitches. Some supportive, some calling me unhinged. I don’t care. Let the whole world know what a worthless cheat he is.
By the time we reach the airport I’m sobering up just enough to feel the ache again. Dad’s ticket is waiting at the counter, first class, of course. He never does anything halfway when it comes to hauling my ass out of trouble.
I text him from the gate.
Me: On the plane. Still pissed at the world. Love you anyway.
Dad: Good. Sleep it off. We’ll talk when you land.
I buckle in, pull the blanket up to my chin, and close my eyes. The flight home feels like the first step toward whatever the hell comes next.
Six hours later dad is waiting at baggage claim like a damn sentinel, arms crossed, looking every bit the disappointed-but-still-protective father.
He doesn’t say a word until I’m right in front of him.
Then he pulls me into a tight hug that almost cracks my ribs.
“You okay, kiddo?” he asks gruffly against my hair.
“No,” I whisper, voice cracking for the first time since the bar. “But I will be.”
He nods, grabs my bag, and steers me toward the parking lot. “Good. Let’s go. Your mother’s been pacing the living room since she saw the first video.”
The drive home is quiet at first, just the hum of the engine and the throbbing in my temples. When we pull into the driveway, the porch light is blazing. The front door flies open before Dad even cuts the engine.
Mom steps out in her robe, hair pulled back, eyes red like she’s been crying. She doesn’t hesitate, just marches straight to the car and yanks my door open.
“Oh, baby…” She pulls me out and into her arms before I can even stand straight. Her hug is softer than Dad’s but just as fierce. “That worthless piece of shit. I never liked him. Never. I told you that from the beginning.”
“Mom…” My voice breaks again as the tears I’d been holding back finally spill over.
“I know, sweetheart. I know.” She strokes my hair the way she did when I was little. “We saw everything. The bar. The rant. Your father nearly had a heart attack, but honestly? I’m proud of you for saying it all out loud. He deserved every word.”
Dad clears his throat behind us. “Let’s get her inside before the neighbors come out with popcorn.”
Mom ignores him for a second, cupping my face so I have to look at her. “You’re home now. We’ve got you. No more wasting yourself on men who don’t know your worth. Come on, I made your favorite tea and there’s a fresh bed waiting.”
She loops her arm through mine while Dad carries my bag. The three of us head inside the house I grew up in, the same warm lights, the same familiar smells. For the first time since walking in on Ethan, the crushing weight in my chest eases just a little.
But even as Mom fusses over me and Dad grumbles about “internet clowns,” I can feel it, this isn’t the end. It’s just the messy, painful beginning of figuring out who I am without him.