“They Dine on Delicacies, We Settle for Porridge: Where’s the Justice?”

It was a chilly Thursday evening when Ethan and Lily returned home, the clock striking just past eight. In the modest kitchen of their shared apartment, Ella and Violet were just about to dig into their simple dinner of homemade oatmeal, a stark contrast to the lavish meals they knew Ethan and Lily often enjoyed.

Ella, ever the peacemaker, greeted them with a warm smile. “Hey, you’re just in time for dinner. Why don’t you join us?” she suggested, gesturing to the extra bowls she had already set out, hoping to bridge the gap that had been growing between them.

Ethan exchanged a quick, unreadable glance with Lily before replying, “Thanks, but we’ve got plans already,” his voice devoid of the warmth Ella’s had carried. Without waiting for a response, they retreated to their room, the soft click of the door signaling the physical and emotional distance between them.

Violet frowned, stirring her oatmeal absentmindedly. “It’s always the same with them,” she murmured, more to herself than to Ella. “Ever since Ethan got that new job at the tech startup and Lily started her interior design blog, it’s like they live in a different world.”

Ella sighed, her spoon clinking against the bowl. “I know, but what can we do? We can’t afford anything fancier, and I thought maybe eating together might… I don’t know, bring us back to the old days.”

The old days. When all four of them had been struggling college students, sharing everything from meals to dreams, the future bright and uncertain before them. Now, with Ethan and Lily’s sudden success, the divide had grown too vast, filled with unspoken resentments and envy.

The next day, Frank, a mutual friend, dropped by. He had always been the one who could make everyone laugh, the glue in their group. Yet, today, even his jokes couldn’t cut through the thick air of tension.

“So, I saw Ethan and Lily at that new fancy sushi place last night,” Frank said, trying to spark some conversation as he noticed the strained faces around him. “Place looked like a palace. How come you guys weren’t there?”

Ella exchanged a look with Violet, the unspoken words hanging heavily between them. “Oh, we had other plans,” she replied, her voice flat.

Frank, sensing he had tread into murky waters, quickly changed the subject. But the damage was done. The rest of his visit felt strained, the laughter forced and the conversations stilted.

As weeks turned into months, the interactions with Ethan and Lily became more and more infrequent. Invitations declined, messages left unanswered. The gap widened until it felt like they were strangers living under the same roof.

One evening, as Ella and Violet were once again sitting down to a dinner of oatmeal, the front door opened and closed for the last time. Ethan and Lily had moved out, leaving behind nothing but a note that read, “Moved to a place closer to work. Good luck.”

The apartment felt emptier than before, the silence louder. Ella and Violet finished their meal in silence, the taste of the oatmeal bland and unfulfilling. They had kept the peace, but at what cost? The justice of it all seemed as murky as ever.