A couple holding hands | Source: Unsplash
“I couldn’t let that happen,” my dad continued, his voice choked with regret. “I couldn’t stand to see you heartbroken. He was everything to you.” His eyes pleaded with me, begging for understanding, for forgiveness, for a lifetime of misplaced intentions. “So I… I made him an offer.”
My heart hammered against my ribs, a wild bird trapped in a cage. An offer? What kind of offer?
“I told him… I told him I would help him. Financially. To get his business off the ground, to give you both a fresh start. And to… to make sure he stayed.” He swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on mine, full of unspeakable sorrow. “I’ve been… I’ve been supplementing his income. Ever since. Discreetly. A monthly transfer. He knew it was to keep him with you. To ensure you had the life you wanted. The one where you didn’t have to work if you didn’t want to, where you could be ‘provided for’.”
Aerial view of a beach | Source: Midjourney
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