Then I contacted an independent attorney.
The letter was examined, and the attorney began investigating the old pharmacy case. The evidence eventually helped reopen questions about the falsified records. It would take time to establish every fact and determine what legal action remained possible, but Daniel’s father’s name was no longer something I could dismiss as an unfortunate piece of family history.
I also discovered something about my father that hurt in a different way.
He had not been the flawless businessman I had believed him to be.
I still loved the father who had taught me to ride a bicycle, attended my school plays, and carried me on his shoulders when I was little.
But I could no longer pretend that those memories erased the harm he had caused.
For the first time, I began to understand that people could love their families and still do terrible things.
That understanding didn’t excuse them.
