Chapter 4

The drive back to his parents' house was a blur of red taillights and silent rage. David gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. I just sat there, the scene from the camera replaying in my mind: the kiss, the insults, the pregnancy announcement. It was a grotesque nightmare.

David didn't bother with the doorbell. He used his old key and threw the door open, storming inside. I was right behind him.

We found them in the living room. Olivia was curled up on the couch, and Robert was stroking her hair. They looked up, startled, their cozy little scene shattered.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Robert shouted, jumping to his feet.

"I know," David said, his voice shaking with fury. "I know everything."

Robert's face went from angry to confused. "Know what? You're acting like a lunatic."

"Don't play dumb with me," David spat. "I know about you and her. In my mother's house! While she's lying in that bed, unable to move or speak!"

Robert's face paled. He glanced nervously at Olivia. She, however, remained perfectly calm. She slowly sat up, a look of sad resignation on her face, as if we were the ones creating a problem.

"David, please," she said softly. "You're upset. We understand."

"You understand nothing!" I finally found my voice. "You're a monster. Both of you."

Robert' s fear quickly turned back to anger. He took a protective step in front of Olivia. "You will not speak to her that way! Olivia has been a light in this dark house. She's brought me happiness again."

"Happiness?" David laughed, a sharp, bitter sound. "You call this happiness? Betraying your wife of forty years? Insulting her behind her back?" He took a step closer. "Calling her useless?"

That hit its mark. Robert flinched, his eyes widening in shock. He knew we had heard him.

"You have no right," he stammered. "You don't know what it's been like for me."

"I know what it's been like for Mom!" David roared. "She's the one who's suffering, and you're in here with this... this parasite!"

Olivia stood up then, her eyes full of fake tears. She placed a hand on her stomach.

"There's something you should know," she said, her voice trembling. "Robert and I... we're in love. And I'm carrying his child."

Even though we knew it was coming, hearing her say it out loud, in this room, felt like a physical blow. The audacity was breathtaking.

"I don't want your money," she continued, looking at David with wide, innocent eyes. "I just want Robert. We want to be a family."

"A family?" David' s voice was dangerously low. "You will never be a part of this family."

Suddenly, from down the hall, we heard a soft noise. A weak, guttural sound.

"Mom," David whispered.

His attention shifted instantly. The rage in his eyes was replaced by a raw, desperate concern. He started toward the hallway.

"I need to see her."

"No!" Robert shouted, moving to block his path. "You'll just upset her more!"

"Get out of my way," David said, his voice a low growl.

They stood face-to-face, father and son, separated by a chasm of betrayal. The air crackled with tension. I held my breath, terrified of what would happen next. This was no longer just an argument. It was a declaration of war.

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