Chapter 2 - The Shattered Illusion
I stood frozen as the words on the screen burned into my retinas.
The lively music from the patio speakers suddenly sounded like distorted noise.
Glen reached out with trembling hands, trying to pull the phone away from my chest.
"Maya, please give me the phone," he pleaded with a sickeningly sweet voice.
I slapped his hands away with enough force to make a sharp cracking sound.
The remaining guests had finally noticed the commotion and fell completely silent.
Clara sat up from her lounge chair, her perfectly tanned face twisting into a mask of panic.
"Give me my property right now, Maya," Clara snapped, stepping toward me.
I backed away from both of them, scooping a crying Ariel into my arms.
"Who is the father, Glen?" I screamed, my voice cracking with absolute devastation.
Glen looked around at the staring neighbors and relatives, desperate to save his reputation.
"You are acting crazy, Maya, so let's just go inside and talk," he lied smoothly.
Before I could scream again, the heavy wooden gate at the side of the house swung open.
My father, Richard, walked into the backyard wearing a tailored suit.
He surveyed the frozen party guests with cold, calculating eyes.
"What is the meaning of this scene?" my father asked, his voice echoing over the silent pool.
I ran toward him, tears streaming down my face, and shoved Clara's phone into his hands.
"Look at what your wife and my husband have been doing behind our backs," I sobbed.
I expected my father to fly into a terrifying rage at the sight of the photograph.
Instead, Richard looked at the screen with absolute indifference.
He slowly handed the phone back to Clara without saying a single word to her.
"You were not supposed to find out this way, Maya," my father said calmly.
He turned toward the front gate and signaled with his hand.
May you like
Four massive security guards in black suits immediately stepped into the yard.
They pulled heavy steel chains across the wooden gates, locking us inside.
