That was the moment I finally understood. I was no longer his daughter. I was simply his embarrassment.
“Austin was the one who struck that man,” I said.
My brother balled his hands into fists.
“I already thanked you,” Austin muttered. “What else do you expect? Are you trying to destroy my future now that I’m about to become a father?”
Something inside me shut forever.
“All I ever wanted was my family,” I whispered.
Nobody responded. Sheila picked up the forty dollars from the table and shoved the bills into my palm.
“Here,” Sheila said with a smug grin. “Take this so you can’t accuse us of being heartless. Now leave before you make a scene. Pregnant women shouldn’t deal with stress.”
I stared into her face. This was the same woman who had wrapped me in tears two years earlier, promising she would never forget what I had sacrificed.
