Chapter 1 - The Barbecue Insult
The Fourth of July family cookout was in full swing. Warm, late-afternoon sunlight bathed the suburban backyard patio in Fort Wayne, catching the small American flags lining the wooden fence. The smell of charcoal and roasting meat filled the air, mixing with the polite chatter of extended family holding paper plates and cold lemonade.
But near the barbecue grill, the atmosphere was thick with quiet, toxic condescension.
Barry, a man in his early 60s with short graying hair and a red polo shirt, stood by the grill. He had a sickeningly smug expression on his face. Standing right next to him was Keegan, a man in his early 30s with neatly styled dark hair, wearing a light green polo and beige shorts. Keegan was Abby’s brand-new boyfriend, a corporate rising star who had just been introduced to the family today.
Barry leaned toward Keegan, pointing his tongs toward the patio entrance with a look of utter disdain.
"My son cleans toilets," Barry said, ensuring his voice was just loud enough for the nearby relatives to hear.
Keegan let out a brief, amused laugh, keeping his eyes on Barry. He assumed the older man was just making a harmless, sarcastic joke about a lazy relative.
"Oh yeah?" Keegan chuckled, flipping a burger on the grill. "So when’s the toilet guy showing up?"
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Right on cue, Dallas stepped onto the patio.
👉 How will the arrogant new boyfriend react when he finally turns around and looks at the "toilet guy"?
