Chapter 15 - The Final Encounter
A year later, I was walking out of a courthouse after finalizing the last of the estate paperwork.
The sun was shining brightly, and I felt lighter than I had in my entire life.
As I walked down the stone steps, a figure stepped out from the shadow of an oak tree.
It was my father.
He was wearing a faded jacket, looking incredibly frail.
The arrogant, booming man who used to terrify me was completely gone.
“Leo,” he called out, his voice weak.
I stopped, maintaining a safe distance.
“Richard.”
“I just wanted to see you,” he said, taking a step forward.
“I wanted to see that you were okay.”
“I am okay,” I said firmly.
“No thanks to you.”
He swallowed hard, tears pooling in his eyes.
“Is there… is there any chance we can start over? Just a cup of coffee?”
I looked at the man who had dismissed my dying gasps as a theatrical performance.
I felt no anger anymore.
Just a profound, quiet emptiness toward him.
“No,” I said, my voice steady and unwavering.
May you like
“There’s no coming back from what you did.
Have a good life, Richard.”
