A Family Truth Best Left Untold
Ethan is heading home. His Friday lectures at university were unexpectedly canceled, so he decides to surprise his parents by arriving a day early. They weren’t expecting him until Saturday. He smiles, picturing his mum’s delight—her flinging the door open, gasping with joy, dragging him straight to the kitchen to feed him warm apple pie.
He reaches the house and knocks. Silence. Odd—his mum should be home by now. He pulls out his keys, but before he can unlock the door, it swings open. His mum stands there, flustered, hastily tying her dressing gown.
“Ethan?! Why are you back today?” Her voice wavers.
“Thought I’d surprise you,” he replies, stepping inside—then freezing.
A stranger emerges from the kitchen. Mid-forties, tousled hair, shirt buttoned haphazardly—no toolbox in sight. Not a neighbour, not a family friend, not an uncle. A complete stranger.
“This is… Anthony,” his mum blurts. “He came to fix the boiler. It started leaking this morning—can you believe it?”
“Anthony,” Ethan says flatly, “do you always fix boilers in a dress shirt and empty-handed?”
The man mumbles something about needing to leave and quickly slips past, face burning with embarrassment.
The moment the door shuts, Ethan turns to his mum.
“What was that?”
She looks away, silent. Anger rises in his chest, dark thoughts swirling in his head.
“Mum… are you cheating on Dad?”
“It’s not that simple—” she begins, but he cuts her off.
“Seems pretty straightforward to me. You’ve betrayed him!”
“Watch your tone!” she snaps.
“Will you say the same to Dad when I tell him?”
She sinks onto the hallway bench, as if crushed by the weight of his words.
“Don’t… Ethan, please… don’t tear us apart.”
“*I’m* tearing us apart? You’re the one who did that! Dad worships you, and this is how you repay him?”
“Where is he right now, your father? Always at the office! I’m trapped here, alone, day after day—”
“You could’ve got a job, joined a gym, taken a course. You *chose* to stay home. Don’t blame Dad for that.”
“You don’t understand… I haven’t felt loved in years. We’ve grown apart.”
“Then get a divorce! Or are you afraid of losing the money?”
“How dare you!” She leaps up. “I’ve worked just as hard as him! Raising you, running this house, keeping everything together! And I *do* love him… This was a mistake, a moment of weakness…”
Too furious to listen, Ethan grabs his jacket.
“Where are you going?” His mum grabs his arm.
“For air. I can’t be near you right now.”
“Just… don’t tell your father. This won’t happen again. I swear…”
He leaves without a word. For hours, he wanders the streets, ducks into a café, thinks, agonises. At first, he’s certain—he’ll tell his dad everything. Then doubt creeps in.
That evening, he returns and finds his mum in the kitchen.
“I’ll keep quiet—for now. But if I ever see that man here again, Dad *will* know.”
“Understood. Thank you…”
The weekend passes in tense silence. His dad remains oblivious, but Ethan can barely look at his mum. He starts visiting less. The warmth he once felt for her is gone.
Two weeks later, Ethan realises he left his gym kit at his parents’ house. When he returns for it, he spots *him*. Anthony. Standing by the building. Any hope that it had ended vanishes.
“He was here,” he accuses his mum.
“We were just talking—”
“So you broke your promise.”
The next day, Ethan goes to his dad’s office.
“Dad… we need to talk. It’s hard, but I can’t keep this secret anymore. Mum’s having an affair.”
James Whitaker goes pale.
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve seen them twice. I should’ve told you sooner. I’m sorry.”
His dad stands by the window for a long time, silent. That evening, he packs his things and leaves. His mum weeps, begs for forgiveness. He doesn’t look back.
He rents a flat and starts drowning himself in drink. His mum, meanwhile, sinks into depression. She barely leaves the house, withering away day by day.
Ethan tells himself he did the right thing. The truth had to come out. But guilt lingers, gnawing at him. Would ignorance have been kinder? If a lie is the only way to keep a family happy, is it wrong to tear it all down?
The questions haunt him long after.