Chapter 3 - The Public Fall
By the third day, the humiliation was complete. The internet had turned on Derek. Articles were surfacing about his mismanagement, his abuse of his own employees, and the lavish lifestyle he had funded with borrowed money. The social circle he had cultivated—the people he had tried so hard to impress—had vanished.
Derek called me. I didn't answer. He sent texts, dozens of them, ranging from apologies to threats. He was losing his mind. He was in a small apartment, the only place he could afford, and he was being investigated for embezzlement.
I met my father in a small, quiet café. Caleb was with me, eating a cupcake. A real, store-bought, chocolate cupcake. He hadn't asked for it. I had just bought it for him. He ate it slowly, savoring every bite.
“He’s losing the company today,” William said, pouring sugar into his coffee. “The board members I appointed—who have been silent for years—are calling for his resignation. They have the proof of his financial irregularities.”
“Why wait until now?” I asked.
“Because I needed to see if he was capable of being a father,” William said, his voice hard. “I gave him the money, the startup, the house. I gave him every opportunity to build a legacy. He chose to build a prison. When I saw that bruise on Caleb’s face… that was the end of the experiment.”
It was chilling to realize that my entire marriage had been an experiment to my father. But looking at Caleb, I didn't care. I felt a sense of relief so profound it made me lightheaded.
“What happens to the house?”
“The house is yours, Emily. It always was. The trust was structured so that if Derek ever committed a breach of contract—which includes financial insolvency or criminal negligence—the deed reverts to you as the primary beneficiary. You’re the owner. Not him.”
I thought about the house. The echoes of his shouting. The way Caleb walked on eggshells. I realized I didn't want the house.
May you like
“Sell it,” I said.
“Already planned,” William nodded. “We’ll move you and Caleb to Chicago. Close to me. We’ll find a place where he can grow up without looking over his shoulder.”
