I heard a click, then my father’s voice again. “There, now we can talk freely.”
Except he hadn’t ended the call. I could still hear Stanley’s voice through the speakers, tinny and questioning. My father had only minimized the window, thinking he’d disconnected.
What came next stopped my heart.
“She’s nothing, Stan. A failure. Should have never been born.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. I stood frozen in the hallway, unable to move forward or retreat, barely breathing.
“Sure, she makes good money,” my father continued, voice dripping with contempt, “but what kind of life is that? Thirty-one and still single, married to her job. It’s pathetic. And she lords it over us like we should be grateful she’s letting us live here.”
“At least you’ve got a roof over your head,” Stanley’s voice chimed in.
“Yeah, but at what cost? My dignity. Do you know how embarrassing it is when people ask what I do and I have to admit my daughter supports me? It’s humiliating.”
Then his tone shifted, softening with unmistakable pride. “Now Heather—she’s doing okay. There’s my real achievement. Three beautiful grandkids, a solid marriage. Sure, she didn’t go to some fancy college like Audrey, but she’s got what matters. Family. Love. Keith’s business is doing well enough. They’re talking about buying a bigger house soon.”
The bedroom door opened and my mother’s voice joined the conversation. “Who are you talking to, Ray?”
