Chapter 2
I thought we'd see each other often, so I let it go to avoid awkwardness.
Keith earned less than Ryan, but his family was just as well-off as ours.
If they were that broke, how could they afford vacations?
Claire was mortified and angry. She didn't reply, kicked the door, and stormed out.
I thought Claire would relax, but she posted a status calling me out.
She wrote, [Some act sweet but reveal their true selves in tough times. I just asked for help with my kid at the hospital and got none. Now I know who they really are.]
Our families lived close and were always involved, so everyone knew she meant me.
Our friends and family began commenting on her post.
Most tried to comfort her, some sided with her, and a few tagged me directly.
Ryan's cousin tagged me, asking, [Evelyn, is Claire talking about you?]
Once she started it, a bunch of people jumped in to blame me.
Ryan's aunt tagged me: [Evelyn, we're family. It's just babysitting, no need to be petty.]
Ryan's uncle said, [Help Claire now, she'll help you later. That's family.]
Ryan's uncle wrote, [Evelyn, you messed up. Apologize to Claire.]
I tagged everyone and wrote, [Since you all live in the city and aren't busy, please help Claire with Caden. Anya's sick, and I don't want her germs spreading to him.]
Everyone instantly went quiet.
Typical. It's easy to judge when they're not helping.
Claire deleted her status right away.
Just a few minutes later, Ryan called me up.
He asked, "Hey, is Anya feeling worse again?"
I said, "Nope."
Ryan sounded anxious. "You worried me. Claire asked if Anya was sick and said you took her to the hospital. I thought it was serious! She also said you wouldn't help with Caden. What's going on?"
His tone annoyed me, and remembering his constant excuses for Claire's family online made me even angrier.
"Anya still has the flu, and I didn't want Caden to catch it. But Claire insisted on dropping him off. If he gets sick, will you handle it?"
Ryan went quiet for a second, then switched gears.
He said, "You're right. Caden is older but still a kid. He can get sick easily, and that would be a real pain."
"Alright, I'm gonna hang up now," I said.
Ryan said, "Can you make Honey-Glazed Pork Ribs tonight? I've been craving them."
"Anya's been a handful all day. I seriously haven't had a minute to cook," I spoke.
He offered, "No problem. I'll care for her when I get home, so you can start dinner."
The more he talked, the colder I felt inside. I just hung up on him.
Ryan worked for pay but never helped at home or with the kids.
When I said I was tired from kids or housework, he immediately unloaded his complaints on me.
He'd rant about his exhausting job, pressure, and difficult bosses.
Just like that, all my frustrations and bitterness would get shut down.
I had thought about divorcing him countless times.
I reminded myself we had a kid and he hadn't crossed major lines, so I hung in for Anya.
But now, I really don't want to put up with it anymore!
I just wanted to go off, to have a total meltdown right then and there.
Seeing Anya sleep so sweetly, I held back the urge.
I cried quietly, then washed the dirty clothes Anya had just changed out of.