Chapter 3: Ethan
923 Words
The smell of paint hits me first. Paint? I look up and my soon-to-be ex-wife is standing behind the counter staring at me with a paintbrush in her hand. She looks at me in shock and I can see her eyes flick behind me, and I know they land on Melanie and our baby girl Ember. The shock transforms into anger, then into hate, then into sadness. I hadn’t thought she’d be here today. I haven’t had her sweet treats in months, and I know Melanie liked them because she used to love them when I brought them to her when we were sneaking around at her place. She had been asking me to take them out for months and wanted a sweet treat. I thought, since it was a Saturday, and I knew Maddison didn’t work on Saturday, that she wouldn’t be there. I had intentionally kept it that way. I knew that if Maddison didn’t lay eyes on us, then maybe we would have a chance to get back together. Since I decided to divorce her and move on with Melanie, life has been depressing. I realized it was just the lust I was chasing with her. Not love.
I know what I said when I came to ask her for a divorce was mean and harsh. I meant every word then too. But these past few months with Melanie have been miserable. She doesn't cook, or clean. She’s taken over my family’s house and has changed everything. I came home from work one day and the whole house was different. Where there was once a calm, cool color palette, there are now loud bright colors everywhere. I hate that. Anytime I spend even an hour of overtime at the office, she’s calling my phone the entire time. The only reason I am with her now is for Ember. My beautiful little girl with my blue eyes and straight nose. She’s my twin in every way. I spend all my time with her because her mother is too busy spending my money to notice her. I made a horrible mistake.
Now that Maddison is standing in front of me in her paint-splattered overalls and her bouncy, inky black curly hair is up in a messy ponytail, showing off her gorgeous face. Her full and pouty lips are set in a grim line and her beautiful brown eyes shoot fire in my direction. I know I have made a grave mistake; I want my wife back. The thought hits me at full force, and I am lost in a trance when I hear her once angelic voice tinged with anger announce, “We’re closed.”
“Maddison, what are you doing here? "It’s a Saturday, you don’t work on Saturday?” I replied. I feel Melaine walk up and wrap her freshly manicured hands around my biceps. Trying to stake a claim, I no longer want now that I finally have Maddison’s attention.
Her eyes flash towards where Melanie holds my arm, and she rolls her eyes before stating, “Like I said, we are closed. And whether I work on Saturdays or not isn't any of your concern. Please see yourselves out". She turns to continue painting. "Oh, and congratulations on baby Ember. Such a sweet name.” She calls over her shoulder. I can feel the pain in my chest at the mention of my daughter's name. It was supposed to be a last jab at her since I knew she wanted a daughter named Ember, but we never had one. Recently, I was just hoping that one day when I was able to get rid of Mel, she'd want to adopt my daughter and make her ours instead. Just like that, she dismisses us. Before I can speak again, we hear a loud rumbling where Melanie is standing with the door open. The stroller with our sleeping child blocking the exit. We all turn to look and see a group of bikers driving past the shop. They are all riding those motorcycle monstrosities wearing some type of black vest. I can’t quite see the name of them, but I know they have to be the Shadow Wolves Biker Gang. They moved into town about a week ago, claiming the abandoned Motel 6 on the outskirts of Oak Haven that backs up into the forest.
I saw the construction crews out there about 6 months ago and heard the rumors. They transformed it into a headquarters of some sort, with walls about two stories high stretching over a hundred acres. But now there are a few of them who are riding into town. All of them had all but ridden past, leaving one guy in the back catching the light right in front of the bakery. He stops, boot-clad feet hitting the ground, when he lowers his face mask and turns to look in our direction. His eyes roam over us, but I can see the way they linger over Maddison. My blood boils. My first thought is, “she’s mine asshole”, but reality takes hold when the hand holding my arm squeezes just as the baby in the stroller starts to cry. Reality comes crashing back hard at me. She is no longer mine. So, I did the only respectable thing I could do for Maddison. I turned around and left, with the family I chose. The family I'm going to break just to rebuild with the right woman. The woman who deserved this all along, Maddison.
- Writer
