Chapter 2 - The Ungrateful Son
Mark stepped into the bright kitchen. He was in his late thirties, dressed casually but expensively in a light blue button-down shirt and tailored navy blue pants.
Eleanor’s eyes lit up for a fraction of a second, expecting her only son to calm his hysterical wife and welcome his mother into the home. Instead, Mark’s realistic facial micro-expressions hardened into a dark, aggressive scowl the moment he saw her standing by the marble island.
He didn't offer a hug. He didn't ask how her long drive was.
"You were supposed to come tomorrow!" Mark yelled, stepping menacingly toward the woman who had given him life, his voice dripping with pure annoyance.
Eleanor took a small step backward, her natural breathing catching painfully in her chest.
"Mark, please," Eleanor said softly, trying to maintain her dignity while holding her brown leather tote bag tighter. "I just wanted to arrive early to help set up the house for the weekend. I brought groceries. I can sleep on the couch if the guest room isn't ready yet."
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"The guest room is for my sister!" Claire snapped immediately from the background, crossing her arms tightly over her silky white blouse. "She's arriving tonight with her friends! I told you, this weekend was supposed to be our private time. You always show up and ruin everything!"
👉 Mark’s irritation boiled over into physical aggression, and he was about to cross an unforgivable boundary.
