I just scorched half our town’s group chat defending my heartbroken brother, and five minutes later his 'cheated on' ex dropped screenshots proving he cheated with three different girls first. I want the earth to swallow me whole, how do I ever show my face again?

First rule of sibling warfare: You didn't lie, you were lied to. There is a massive difference between defending a cheater and defending a brother who looked you dead in the eye and played the tragic victim. Your brother basically handed you a grenade with the pin pulled and sent you to the frontline. That brooding silent treatment of his wasn’t heartbreak; it was a cheap smoke bomb so nobody would look at his own phone. His mess, his guilt, his receipts. Right now, your town chat is feasting on the drama, but you’re just collateral damage. Do not write a ten-paragraph essay groveling or making excuses. Drop one clean, dry sentence into the chat: "Well, I was defending the story I was told, not this mess. I'm stepping out of this circus." Then mute the chat, put your phone face down, and let your brother face the music by himself. Sibling loyalty is admirable, but it officially ends the second someone uses you as a human shield.