Chapter 4 - The Brother's Arrival
The front door swung open, and David strode into the foyer, shaking snowflakes from his heavy wool jacket. He looked flushed, smelling faintly of Scotch and winter air, holding a wrapped Christmas present under his arm.
"Good grief, it's freezing out there," David boomed, his hearty laugh dying instantly as he took in the scene before him. His mother looked like she had just seen a ghost, staring blankly at photographs scattered across the floor, while I stood calmly by the door. "What’s going on here? Where are Kevin and Mia? Their car was supposed to be at the station."
Eleanor opened her mouth, gasping for air like a fish out of water, but no words came out. She couldn't bring herself to shatter the golden illusion. She looked at David, then down at the explicit photographs lying right at his feet.
I didn't hesitate. I bent down, picked up the topmost photograph—the one showing Kevin and Mia entangled in bed—and handed it directly to David.
"They're on a train," I said evenly, watching David's face shift from confusion to sharp irritation. "A fifty-hour train ride. Just the two of them. In a private sleeper car."
David took the photograph, his brow furrowing deeply. He glanced down, expecting to see a scenic holiday snapshot or a travel update. Instead, his eyes locked onto the image of his wife in another man's arms—his own brother's arms.
The color drained from David’s face so fast it was as if someone had pulled a plug in his veins. The present slipped from his fingers, hitting the floor with a dull thud. For three agonizing seconds, the world seemed to stop spinning entirely.
"What... what is this?" David whispered, his voice cracking violently. He looked up at me, his eyes wide and bloodshot. "Emily... what is this?"
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"Proof," I replied softly, my voice completely devoid of pity. "Proof of why they didn't have room for a pregnant woman in first class. They needed privacy."
David let out a choked, feral sound—half laugh, half sob—before his expression hardened into pure, unadulterated fury. He dropped to his knees, snatching up the remaining photographs as the devastating truth crashed over him like a tidal wave.
