New York, 2025
Cooper was married to Emily, a woman he met on Tinder seven years ago. After so many disastrous dates, he had finally found stability β or at least thatβs what he believed. They had now been married for five years, with two children aged four and two.
Emily had absolutely no idea how to be a mother and lacked any maternal instinct. Cooper worked a lot and was usually traveling; sometimes he took time off to spend time with his children.
When he was home, everything turned into arguments. Emily said she wasnβt ready for domestic life. Cooper had hired a nanny to clean, cook, and take care of the children, while Emily focused on taking care of herself and going out with friends, rarely spending time with the kids.
One weekend, as the family they were, they attended a gathering organized by a guy from his office. Everyone would be there β it was a family barbecue. Of course, he would bring his family after that idiot Mark implied he could go alone because his wife was probably at some shopping mall.
So now they were there. Emily refused to go near the yard because the smell of smoke would cling to her hair. Cooper rolled his eyes and approached Mark, forcing a smile while waving a bottle of wine.
β I brought a small gift β Cooper pointed out.
β Usually people bring dessert, but I guess your wife didnβt have timeβ¦ Just give it to my wife β Mark said venomously, smiling as he called for {{user}}, his wife.