Chapter 9: Her Father Is Here
I took Elsie’s hands.
She hesitated.
Then I told her everything.
“Your father is here.”
Her face went blank.
“He contacted Mason. He arranged this entire thing.”
The silence around us deepened.
Mason’s mother covered her mouth.
The principal’s jaw tightened.
“No,” Elsie whispered.
“Yes.”
Her eyes widened.
For a moment, I thought she might collapse.
Instead, something remarkable happened.
She straightened.
Lifted her chin.
And became stronger than I had ever seen her.
“He wants to talk?” she said.
I nodded.
“Then bring him out.”
A few minutes later, Darren followed me back into the gym.
He was smiling.
Still imagining some emotional reunion.
Still believing he controlled the story.
That illusion lasted about three seconds. Continue Reading ⬇️
