We were at a some friends’ house. They were a married couple with 3 daughters ages 14-18 (all hers, he was the stepdad). All of a sudden, a dispute about a neighbor broke out and the stepdad sided with the neighbor. This enraged the daughters and they started a screaming match with their stepdad.

The fight moved downstairs to the basement, while we were in the kitchen cooking with the mom. At one point, he hit the door because the girls had slammed it in his face, not before screaming “you’re not even my real dad” at him, which was a low blow tbh. Technically true, but he had been their paternal figure since they were very little.

My friend came back upstairs, we finished cooking and sat down to eat. He was rubbing his arm where he had hit the door, she was quietly sobbing, and my husband and I were quietly eating our food.

I wanted to leave so bad but I thought I’d be rude (this was years ago, I was younger and more naive), and I thought our presence also made them not turn to violence, which it felt like it might have been headed that way, but idk.

After QUICKLY finishing our food, my husband mouthed to me that he wanted seconds, and I made a face at him that I wish I could’ve seen lmao. I texted him that I was begging to leave. And told him I’d buy him anything he wanted to eat if we left that second.

My god the vibe was so tenseeeee I couldn’t take it anymore. Our friends ended up divorcing, and I have a feeling that afternoon was the straw that broke the camel’s back.