Gemotions

The lawyer's voice, calm and measured, was a cruel counterpoint to the turmoil brewing inside Ethan. "Your father had a child," the man had said, "A son, named Michael." Ethan felt his cheeks flush. His hands were clammy.

He’d driven home in a daze, the city streets blurring into a nonsensical stream of lights and shadows. He slammed the car door, the sound sharp and violent in the quiet suburban street. He burst into his house, leaving a trail of disarray.

He went straight to the liquor cabinet, the bottles gleaming in the dim light. He wanted to scream, to shatter something. Michael. A brother he'd never known. The words echoed in his head, a discordant melody.