Everyone has a snapping point. Where something in them just pops and they go mad. For example, Britney Spears. Bradley never gave much thought to her mental breakdown. He just thought she was insane. But the more time he spends with his parents, the more he understands why she went nuts.

It's not that he is literally crazy, it's that everything around him is going to shit and he can't control it. It's terrifying, and he's frantically grabbing at the pieces to keep them in place.

His life is a control freak's worst nightmare.

He's on his way out of his house when Graham calls him by name, stopping his walk. Bradley turns around, hands gripping his backpack straps.

"What?" Bradley can barely look his own father in the eyes.

Why do I feel ashamed? I wasn't the one cheating, he thinks bitterly, his agitation growing.

Graham has no shame, he can look Bradley in the eyes with ease. "We need to have a talk." Graham crosses his arms over his chest, waiting for Bradley's response.

Bradley's mouth gapes open. The audacity. "You cannot be fucking serious," he chuckles bitterly. "There's really nothing to say."

"I have to disagree," Graham states. He doesn't have any remorse.

"I really have to go now," Bradley pleas, silently begging his father to let him go. He has never asked his father for much, maybe money here and there, a car, maybe a new phone every once in awhile. But he's never wanted--no, needed, his father to just allow him to get out of this house. It's suffocating.

"This is serious, Bradley. We need to talk now. You don't have to go to school for another hour. Where are you even headed at this hour?" Graham looks down at his watch, shaking his head.

"Mrs. Castillo. I have this writing thing for her class," Bradley has yet to make eye contact with his father. He's researched the stages people go through when finding out a parent is having an affair: anger, sadness, frustration, betrayal, understanding, and forgiveness.

It's only been a few days, and he hasn't found it in him to get past his anger.

"This is serious." Graham says as if it would make any difference to Bradley.

All that anger he thought he pushed under the surface, is boiling at the top.

"So is going to school," Bradley snaps back.

Graham moves away from the subject, not in the mood to fight, "I didn't see you eat anything this morning. Aren't you hungry?"

Bradley bites the inside of his cheek, trying his hardest not to blow his top. It doesn't work because words just spew out of him. " On Wednesdays and Thursdays, I don't eat breakfast at home. You would know that if you were ever around. If you were home, you would know that the fridge is barely stocked so I usually grab something on the way to school. If you were ever home, you'd know that Julianne had to throw out the food that went bad!" Some of those are lies, but he says them just to evoke any emotion out of his father.

Bradley realizes what comes over Corrie when he's in his fit of rage. This anger he's been holding back, just tumbles out, in all ways possible. Word vomit, hitting, screaming, crying. It finds it's way out.

"Bradley, I know that I'm not home as often as both of us would like but you know that--" Graham's calm voice is almost soothing, but not quite.

"When you're home, you're off screwing some random girl!" Bradley can't stop himself. "And to think, I felt bad for you. I had empathy, I cared."

Graham doesn't grow upset, or distressed, his face stays emotionless. "That's what I needed to talk to you about."

"No, I don't want to hear it! It's disgusting. Not to mention vile." Bradley fake gags, causing Graham to show the first sign of emotion throughout the whole ordeal. "You're cheating on Mom, that's all I need to know." Bradly almost adds that Cassandra is cheating on him, but right now isn't about how she's heinous, it's about Graham.

"Don't be so juvenile, Bradley, you know that there is always more to a story than one sentence," Graham scolds.

"Then tell me, Graham," Bradley looks his father dead in the eyes, "what do I need to know about your affair? What in this world is so important about that you have to tell your son, who is going to be late because of it?"

Graham sighs, leaning against the wall. "You know that I love your mother."

Bradley laughs, hand hitting his forehead. "Well, you obviously don't. Nobody can cheat and then claim to love the person they cheated on. That's not the way the tale goes."

"That's not the way the tale goes in your storybook, Bradley, but it is the way it goes in mine. I love your mother dearly, Cassandra has my heart. But you know her. She loves to fight, and we haven't been on the greatest terms. That's why we have been traveling so often."

Bradley scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest. He knows they fight, and they leave. That has been their routine since he was a child. But that doesn't excuse either of them deciding to cheat.

Despite Bradley, Graham continues, "the woman you saw me with, she means nothing to me. She is a distraction, as I am to her."

Bradley feels like vomiting this talk is so repulsing. It's not like anything would come up, he'd just dry heave. Bradley swallows hard, "this is inappropriate, Graham. We don't need to talk about this. I understand."

"I don't think you do, Bradley," Graham sighs. "What you saw was merely for pleasure, and that's all. That women means nothing to me. I love your mother with all my heart, and will continue to do so. Everything with that women will end over time."

"So, why are we even talking about this, then? If you love Mom and your affair will end, what's the goddamn point of this conversation?" Bradley glances at the time on his phone. "Fuck," he mutters under his breath. Due to his father, he's twenty minutes late already and Mrs. Castillo isn't going to wait much longer.

"You can't mention what you witnessed to your mother." Graham says with this firmness in his voice that makes Bradley shiver.

"And why the fuck not?" Bradley thought he had his anger under lock and key, but it apparently knows how to pick a lock because it's coming out.

"There's no point in telling your mother. It will only hurt her and me There are times when there's bliss in ignorance. With her movie coming to an end, and then her studio in Santa Monica coming up, she doesn't need any extra stress in her life. You wouldn't want to burden her more, would you?"

"No! You don't get to try to make me feel guilty for your cheating. I would be telling the truth. None of this is my fault. I don't need this bullshit." Bradley turns his back to his father and starts his march out the front door.

As he's walking, he hears his father's voice over his shoulder, "Bradley! If she finds out, the circumstances for you will be detrimental."

Bradley doesn't even know what he's supposed to feel. It doesn't follow the chart he had made of emotion to go through when your parents have an affair. The saddest part is that he actually felt bad for Graham, but now, he doesn't feel anything for either of them.

__________

☒ - unedited

Can you believe the nerve of Graham? Should he have spoken to Bradley about the affair or just let it go? Will Bradley tell his mother and vice versa?

Please tell me if you see any mistakes, I'm the queen of typos.

Read, vote, comment, and please, please share! Tell me what you liked/disliked. Constructive criticism is very, very welcome!

Rant of the chapter: i hate presentations so much! i wish i was as confident in real life as i am here on wattpad :/

Dedicated to: people who share my story! i can't believe that this has 15k reads!

Next update: next week because I already have the next chapter written!

Teaser: Bradley spends time with his mother in Santa Monica. Afterwards, he gets to see Leo.

Quick notes:
[ 1 ] what do ya think is gonna happen fam??
[ 2 ] yay updates are flowing dudes
[ 3 ] pm me if you have any critiques, reviews, improvement & etc. just be kind, and don't murder my book, thanks. also PM me if you need to just talk to somebody.
[ 4 ] twenty votes, maybe, possibly?
[ 5 ] i love you and i'll see you soon. ❤️️