Chapter 10
The parking lot felt too bright.
Too public.
Too small for a lie that had shaped my entire childhood.
My mother reached for me.
“Emma, I did what I thought was best.”
I stepped away.
“For who?”
“For the family.”
“Which family? Because Dad was family when you let everyone think he was a failure.”
Dad lowered his head.
That hurt worse than the documents.
He had carried not only debt.
He had carried shame that did not belong to him.
Richard finally spoke.
“Your father agreed.”
I turned on him.
“After you and Mom stole from his company.”
His jaw tightened.
“It was complicated.”
“No. It was convenient for you.”
Stephen looked at my mother like he was seeing a stranger.
“You told me Thomas abandoned you financially.”
Mom whispered, “I was trying to start over.”
May you like
Dad said quietly, “You started over on my back.”
No one had an answer for that.
