“I stayed silent back then because I was scared,” I said. “I knew exactly what would happen. I knew you would protect your reputation, your business—everything except me.”
My mother pressed her hand to her mouth. “Oh my God…”
“I spoke to an attorney a year after Leo was born. But I never moved forward. I didn’t want my child dragged through courtrooms and headlines. I was just trying to survive.”
“But he was—” My father’s voice cracked. “He was my friend.”
“That’s the point,” I said quietly. “He was your friend. He was never mine.”
My father sank into the chair as if the strength had been pulled from his body.
“They threw me out,” I continued, bitterness creeping in. “They called me a liar. They threatened me. And not once did anyone ask why I couldn’t say who the father was.”
Leo looked up at me, confused. “Mom?”
I rested my hand on his shoulder. “You’re safe, sweetheart. None of this is because of you.”
My mother turned to my father, shaking. “We have to make this right. We have to apologize. Do something.”
He stared at the floor. “I sent my daughter away… while the man who hurt her was still welcome in my life.”
