I had kept everything because that was how I worked.
I wasn’t particularly glamorous. I wasn’t the loudest man in the room.
But I believed in keeping records.
Dad examined the pages.
“Why didn’t you tell us this before?”
I gave him a tired smile.
“Because I thought helping my brother meant helping my brother.”
I paused.
“I didn’t realize he thought my work belonged to him.”
Mom whispered, “Oh, Kevin.”
I closed the folder.
“I haven’t done anything with these documents. I’m not going to invent accusations or damage anyone’s career out of spite. But if his company asks who created the financial model, I’m not going to lie.”
Dad nodded slowly.
“That’s fair.”
Then he looked at me with an expression I’d rarely seen.
Respect.
Not because I’d beaten Kai at something.
Because I’d finally stopped pretending I had nothing worth protecting.
My Revenge Was Not What They Expected
Over the next two weeks, I met with a divorce attorney and arranged for Molly to collect her belongings.