Chapter 5: The Public Reckoning

Natalie realized I wouldn’t help, so she turned to Grandma, voice trembling. "Grandma, you’ve always loved me most. If Derek doesn’t have a job, I’ll struggle. Please help me talk to Dad."

Grandma’s resolve wavered, but I stayed firm. "Mom, the college has strict rules. Nepotism means I could lose my job. We’d lose everything."

Grandma sagged into her chair, ignoring Natalie’s pleas. The room felt colder than ever.

But Natalie wasn’t done. She found out I was giving a lecture at the college—an audience full of colleagues and students. I was in the middle of my talk when she rushed the stage, face red, voice shaking.

"My dad, Ryan Carter, acts like a gentleman at school, but at home he’s a beast who abuses his daughter!"

The room fell silent. I felt sweat bead on my brow, my heart pounding. Someone’s phone camera clicked. Natalie’s words echoed, each one a knife.

"When my husband’s family came to propose, he drove them out. At home, I have to watch his face just to eat. I haven’t had a real meal in weeks. If it weren’t for my mother-in-law, I’d have starved."

The audience gasped, whispers rippling through the crowd. I could only stand there, my daughter’s words hanging in the stunned silence. And I knew—there was no going back.