Like Father, Like Son

A Thriller Short Story

By: Shawn Raiford

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Kayleine watches her husband, Pete, from the couch—once a promising Major League hopeful, now a construction worker drowning in alcohol and anger.

He was supposed to be a hero for their daughter, Sarah. Instead, he’s become the one thing Kayleine hoped to protect her from.When the whirl of patrol car lights spills through the blinds, painting the living room red and blue, Kayleine knows the reckoning has arrived. Sheriff Bobby—Old Bobby to everyone in town—stands outside with his deputies and a bullhorn, calling Pete out, giving him one last chance.

But Kayleine can already feel the truth closing in.

Pete’s future ends tonight—whether in a cell or in a firefight.
There’s no escaping what he’s become.

Old Bobby warned her long ago to leave while she still could. To save herself. To save Sarah.

She didn’t listen.
And now, as the lights flash and the house trembles under the weight of the standoff, Kayleine realizes it’s too late.

Some legacies are chosen.
Others are inherited.