The grand dining room of the Sterling manor, usually a picture of convivial elegance was now a background of unspoken anxieties. Sunlight streamed through the tall, arched windows, illuminating dust dotes dancing in the air, a stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere that had settled down in the room. Meredith and her parents sat stiffly across from Ethan and his parents. The polished mahogany table, laden with untouched delicacies , seemed to groan under the weight of the impending announcement. The wedding, once a celebrated union, a merging of two prominent families , had become a source of dread, a looming specter that threatened to shatter the carefully constructed facade of their families.
It was Meredith who broke the suffocating silence. Her voice usually melodious, was a delicate tremor in the vast space. " Mom, dad," she began, her gaze sweeping across the table, taking in the stiff posture of her parents. " Ethan and I have something to say." The words hung in the air, each syllable, a carefully placed stone in a crumbling edifice. A collective breath hitched. Her mom leaned forward, her eyes narrowed with a mixture of suspension and apprehension. Ethan's eyes met his parents gaze, his jaws tight. "We've... we've decided to call off the wedding," he announced , the words echoing in the room lijt the toll of the deaths knell.
A stunned silence descended, thick and heavy, broken only by the faint ticking of the grandfather's clock in the corner. Meredith's dad was the first to react, his face reddening with a mixture of disbelief and a simmering anger that threatened to erupt. " What in God's name are you saying, Meredith? he demanded, his voice tight with barely suppressed fury. Meredith's voice though soft, held a newfound resolve, strength that even surprised herself. " What I'm saying dad is that, I'm not in love with ethan and he is not in love with me." Ethan's dad turned sharply towards him, his face a mask of controlled fury. " Ethan, what is the meaning of this?"
Ethan met his father's gaze. " Dad," he replied, his voice steady ," we've both realized we can't go through with this, we don't love each other." The room seemed to tilt. His dad's face contorted in a mixture of fury and bewilderment. " What are you saying son? What kind of embarrassment is this? Have you gone mad? What do you know about love?, his voice rose laced with disbelief and a hint if desperation . Ethan's voice remained calm. " Dad, I know that love entails patience, kindness, sacrifice and commitment - and those are things I'm not willing to give to Meredith. She has never been in my heart."
Meredith's father turned to her, his voice laced with a desperate plea. " Meredith, is this true?" " Yes dad," she replied, her voice barely a whisper, her eyes meeting him with a mixture of sorrow. Meredith's dad beckoned on her and her mom as they retreated upstairs leaving Ethan's and his parents in the wake of the devastating announcement. The silence was broken by a sharp resounding slap that echoed through the room. " How dare you, you miserable son," his dad thundered, his face contorted in rage.
Ethan couldn't believe what his dad did. " Dad, why... Why have you always tried to control me?" he demanded, his voice cracked with emotions. " You never even care about me or how I feel. All you want is for everything to go as you have planned, using me as a pawn, not even caring if I'm broken." " Shut up you ingrate. You ungrateful son," his father spat back. " Do you know how hard it is for me to train you? Everything I do is for your own good."
" No dad," Ethan shouted, tears streaming down his face. " Everything you do is for your own good not mine. You don't even care if you break the person, all you care about is yourself. You are so selfish. I'm broken can't you see? Haven't you done enough? Why can't you leave me alone. Why can't you let me be happy for once. I even find it hard to believe that you're my dad." " Enough Ethan, stop it, that's your dad you're talking to," his mom cuts in, her voice trembling.
" No mom, let me finish," he pleaded, ignoring her. " Do you even know me? You don't fucking know anything about me because if you did, you would have known that I don't like girls, for fuck sake, I'm gay. I love someone already and that's Kai. I'm sorry if you feel disgusted by me but I can't change whom I am to please you. You have never been there for me. All my birthdays, I celebrated them alone without you. I have always wanted to know how it felt like to have you dad as your best friend. I know mom is hurting but she keeps masking it off like she is fine. Can't you fucking see that you are hurting everyone around you? I can't even believe that you're my dad. Have you ever loved me like your son?"
Ethan turned and ran, tears streaming down his face. His dad stood frozen, speechless, a single tear tracing a path down his cheek. " I'm I that bad of a father? I love my son and have always loved him," he finally managed to say, his voice barely a whisper. His wife sensing his pain wrapped her arms around him. " Honey, don't say that," she soothed. " Everything will be alright. He just needs to calm down."
I know he is hurting and I can't blame him," she continued. " He feels neglected, but I know you've been working so hard to provide for us, to make us happy. But I can't deny that sometimes, we miss you here, especially Ethan. You both just need to talk, have a- heart - to - heart discussion. Tell him how you feel and listen to him too. You need to communicate with each other. You both haven't been doing that. He is still your son and you are still his dad."
Overwhelmed he broke down completely. " I'm sorry love," he choked out, tears now flowing freely. " I didn't realize I was hurting everyone. I thought I was doing it for our family."
Meanwhile, Meredith who had overhead the entire argument was also in tears, her heart aching for Ethan. As soon as she saw him, she rushed towards him, enveloping him in a warm hug and whispering words of comfort. She had already spoken to her parents, and for once, they listened. They had agreed to let her make her own choice and agreed to call off the wedding.
With heavy hearts, everyone decided to get some rest, promising to discuss everything in the morning.