Heartless: Episode 1

ELIZABETH

Aside from dipshit Ben, my faith in love had been all but shattered when I watched my parents’ marriage crumble before my eyes. My mom had supported my dad all through law school. Then, she had been there for him as he built his company from nothing, and it had grown to be one of the biggest and most respected law firms in the LA area. I always felt like if there had been a poster for “Behind every great man is an even greater woman,” my mom would have modeled for it.

What my mother and myself hadn’t counted on was my dad leaving his perfectly supportive wife for one of his law firm interns. When he’d first announced it to the two of us over a rare family dinner, which I’d driven home from college for, I’d thought it was a joke. My head couldn’t possibly comprehend what the hell he had just said.

“Janet”—he glanced at my mom—“Elizabeth”—and then at me before returning his line of fire to my mother—“I’m leaving.”

“Oh, do you need to get back to the office?” My mom stood, most likely to pack up a to-go container of food for him to take back with him.

“No. I mean, I’m leaving this family, as in moving out. I’ve fallen in love with someone else. You’ve been a great wife, Janet, but it’s time to move on.”

Nothing.

There were no sounds, not even the air being sucked into anyone’s lungs before being released.

I sure as shit wasn’t breathing at this point.

More silence.

There was only the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Bitter silence was all around us as started to sink in.

I fought the churning in my stomach. I wished I could envelop my poor mother inside a rainbow-filled bubble where all the words my dad had so carelessly spewed at her would get sucked right out and explode into nothing. The funny thing about words was that you couldn’t unhear them once they’d been spoken.

My mom bolted from the kitchen table, her legs shaking, as she ran crookedly toward the bathroom. The door slammed, and I was certain she was losing the contents of everything she’d just spent hours making.

“This is a joke, right? Is it April first?” I tilted my head toward the wall, searching desperat

ely for the calendar my mom always kept there. I silently prayed it was a month in which I knew it wasn’t.

“Grow up, Elizabeth. Things like this happen every day. People fall in and out of love. Nothing lasts forever. You’re an adult, for Christ’s sake. This shouldn’t even affect you.”

“An adult? Jesus, Dad, I’m nineteen!”

“Old enough to get over it.”

“Or old enough to be scarred forever.”

“Always so dramatic. You sure you don’t want to be an actress? Love is fleeting, Elizabeth. It’s better you learn that now before you think you’ve found it.”

His eyes steeled, and I felt something inside me break beyond repair.

I steadied my nerves and tried to temper my anger. “How could you tell Mom like that? It was really inconsiderate and cruel.”

My dad sucked in a breath, and then he wiped his mustache with a cloth napkin before placing it on top of his plate. “No sense in beating around the bush or dragging it out. I did your mother a favor by telling her this way.”

“Your idea of favors is fucked.” I placed a hand on my stomach, praying that my own dinner contents would stay right where they were.

“Watch your mouth, young lady. I’ll give you a twenty-four-hour pass to act like a spoiled brat, but then I expect you to get over this and move on. I want you to have dinner with Chris and me later this week.”

“Who the fuck is Chris? Are you leaving Mom for a dude? ’Cause that might go over better.” I noticed the odd sliver of relief making its way inside me.

“Absolutely not. A dude?” he breathed out, taking a sip of his wine. “You kids these days. Chris is short for Christina.”

“Of course it is.”

Note to self: Never shorten your name.