“N-no.”
“Please sit down.”
“H-he abandoned her.”
“I know what happened.”
I’m sorry.
“N-no, you know what he t-told you.”
Hailey stared between us. “Dad paid for this?”
I tried to answer, but the words caught.
“H-he thinks he can d-disappear for years and then b-buy his way back?”
H-he abandoned her.
Dr. Carter shook his head.
“He specifically asked not to be credited.”
“Th-that makes it worse!”
“Mom.”
I looked at Hailey.
He specifically asked not to be credited.
She was still staring at Ethan’s name on the page.
“I want to know what he did.”
That stopped me.
I hated that Ethan could still do this to me. But this wasn’t only my anger anymore.
Hailey deserved the truth too.
There was only one question left: what had Ethan actually been doing all those years?
Th-that makes it worse!
***
Years ago, during our last fight, I stood in our kitchen while Ethan packed.
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then put the bag down.”
“I can’t live like this, Claire.”
What had Ethan actually been doing all those years?
“L-like what?”
He zipped the bag.
“Ethan, d-don’t.”
“I’m sorry.”
“D-don’t you dare say that and walk out.”
