Page 93 of Ethan & Grace

Screw my dad.

Screw his lies.

Screw this life.

Screw everything.

I pushed away from the sink, but instead of stepping into the shower to rinse off the sweat, I headed to the kitchen and went straight for a cupboard I hadn’t touched in months. In it were two dozen bottles with colourful labels, all of them holding strong alcohol. Without checking which one I’d picked, I twisted off the cap and took a swig. The alcohol burned like fire down my throat, but it also scorched the pain from my body and the misery from my soul.

Until all that was left was a pleasant numbness.

34

Richard Darlington Raped a Seventeen-Year-Old

INsider headline

Grace

I sat on my bed, following the latest updates about Richard Darlington on my laptop. It was hardly breaking news that Ethan’s and Henry’s dad was a disgusting bastard, but hopefully the video of him with that girl would be a wake-up call for his remaining supporters. The news kept replaying the pixelated CCTV footage, and each time, I felt even more queasy.

Kate:

Oh my God, Henry kicked his dad out of the hotel!

Me:

Can he do that?

Kate:

Not really, but he threatened to speak out against him in public if he doesn’t leave.

Rose:

Good! It’s about time!

Me:

That’s going to blow up in all our faces.

Rose:

That would happen anyway. I mean, until now, Richard’s lawyers have been lying through their teeth to make him look like some great guy, but the video has ruined all that.

Kate:

I agree. The hotel’s total chaos right now. The phones won’t stop ringing, a load of guests have left early, and there are journalists everywhere. I was supposed to go over after work, but Henry asked me to head home instead.

I could see Rose typing a reply, but I closed the group chat and opened my message thread with Ethan instead, which had been pretty one-sided since the video had gone public.

Me:

I just saw the video of your dad.

Me:

How are you doing? Do you want to talk?