The Day My Father Became Someone I Feared

For several seconds, Theron Viremont could not move.

His father's voice continued through the laptop speakers, calm and unmistakable.

"Then make sure he never finds out.""

A faint rustle followed. Someone placed a glass on a table.

Corisande spoke again.

"And if he does?""

"By then, Alistair will already have control of the trust. Theron can scream all he wants. The documents will speak for themselves.""

Theron gripped the edge of Marcus Hale's desk.

"Stop it.""

Marcus paused the recording.

Seraphina stared at her brother.

"That's Dad.""

"I know whose voice it is.""

"Theron—"

"I said I know!""

His shout startled all three of them.

Theron immediately looked ashamed. He drew a breath and lowered his voice.

"Play it again.""

Marcus did.

This time, Theron forced himself to listen to every second.

The conversation continued for another minute. His father, Edmund Viremont, discussed the amendments, the trust, and a plan to make sure Corisande's brother would be positioned to manage Eirlys's inheritance if Theron's ability to care for her ever came into question.

Corisande sounded nervous.

Edmund sounded bored.

As though they were discussing a property sale instead of arranging the future of his granddaughter.

"There's no reason to panic," Edmund said on the recording.

"Theron signs whatever I put in front of him. He's always been that way.""

Theron's jaw tightened.

"And if he checks the dates?""

"He won't. He trusts his family.""

A short laugh followed.

Corisande asked, "What about Eirlys?""

"She'll be taken care of.""

"That's not what I asked.""

"Then perhaps you should ask a better question.""

The recording ended.

Nobody spoke.

Outside Marcus's office, a printer hummed. Someone laughed in the reception area. The ordinary sounds of a working morning seemed grotesquely distant.

Theron finally straightened.

"Where did this come from?""

Marcus removed the flash drive.

"The envelope had no return address. My assistant said the courier refused to provide a name.""

"Can we identify the recording?""

"Not yet. We'll need to examine the file and establish its origin before relying on it legally.""

Theron looked at the screen.

"That man is my father.""

"I understand.""

"No, Marcus. You don't."" He swallowed.

"He taught me to sign contracts. He taught me to recognize a dishonest man. He told me that family was the one thing money couldn't buy.""

Seraphina stood.

"And apparently, he decided family was something he could sell.""

Theron turned toward her.

She looked angry, but there was grief beneath it.

Their father had been a formidable man, a patriarch whose approval had shaped both their lives. Theron had spent years trying to earn it. Seraphina had spent years learning not to need it.

Neither had imagined that Edmund would conspire with Corisande against Eirlys.

"Call him," Theron said.

Marcus immediately shook his head.

"That would be a mistake.""

"I want to hear him deny it.""

"If the recording is authentic, your father may be involved in a financial and legal scheme. You need to preserve the evidence before confronting anyone.""

Theron reached for his phone.

"He's still my father.""

"Exactly," Marcus replied.

"Which means you may be tempted to warn him before you understand what he's done.""

Theron stopped.

The words stung because they were true.

He put the phone down.

"Fine. We preserve everything. But I want to know who sent this.""

Marcus nodded.

"I'll arrange for the file to be examined. We'll also request the original trust documents and compare the signatures.""

Seraphina collected her coat.

"I'm going to the house.""

Theron looked up.

"Why?""

"Because Eirlys is there, and I'm not leaving her alone with the consequences of all this.""

"Corisande isn't home.""

"Good. Then I won't have to pretend to like her.""

Despite everything, a faint, exhausted smile touched his mouth.

"Don't tell Eirlys anything about the recording.""

"I know how to talk to a three-year-old.""

She paused at the door.

"And Theron?""

"What?""

"Don't confuse finding out who betrayed you with finding out what Eirlys needs. Those are two different things.""

Then she left.

Theron remained in Marcus's office for another hour, answering questions and signing instructions to preserve the relevant records.

By the time he returned to the mansion, the afternoon sun had disappeared behind a bank of gray clouds.

He found Eirlys in the breakfast room, sitting beside Seraphina with a bowl of strawberries in front of her.

She had changed into a yellow cardigan and soft leggings. Her curls had been brushed, and the red mark on her cheek had faded slightly.

When she saw him, she climbed down from her chair.

"Daddy!""

Theron knelt before she reached him.

"Hello, sweetheart.""

She ran into his arms.

He held her carefully.

For a moment, he let himself believe that love could repair everything if he simply offered enough of it.

Then Eirlys pulled away and examined his face.

"Are you angry?""

"No.""

"Your eyebrows look angry.""

Theron let out a breath that almost became a laugh.

"That's fair.""

She touched the space between his eyebrows.

"Don't be angry at me.""

His chest tightened.

"I'm not angry at you, Eirlys. Not now. Not ever.""

She considered that, then climbed onto his lap.

Seraphina watched them from the table.

"She ate half a sandwich and six strawberries," she said.

"She also insisted on saving one for you.""

Theron looked at the plate.

A single strawberry sat in the middle, its green leaves still attached.

He picked it up.

"For me?""

Eirlys nodded.

"Because you're home.""

He kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you, little bird.""

For the next half hour, he stayed with her. He helped arrange toy animals into a pretend school and listened while she explained that the rabbit was the teacher because he had the longest ears.

He laughed when she made the rabbit apologize to a plastic horse.

Then she picked up a small doll with golden hair and placed it facedown behind the sofa cushion.

Theron watched her.

"Why is she hiding?""

Eirlys shrugged.

"She's naughty.""

"What did she do?""

The little girl stared at the doll.

"She hurt somebody.""

Theron felt his throat tighten.

"Does she need to say sorry?""

Eirlys nodded.

"But she doesn't want to.""

He sat beside her on the rug.

"Sometimes people don't want to say they're sorry because they're afraid of admitting they did something wrong.""

Eirlys looked at him.

"Did you say sorry?""

Theron went still.

"To Mommy?""

She shook her head.

"To me.""

He had apologized the previous night, but he understood what she was asking now.

"Yes," he said softly.

"And I'm going to keep showing you that I mean it.""

She leaned against him.

"Okay.""

A small moment. An ordinary moment.

Yet it left Theron more shaken than the recording had.

Because his daughter had not asked whether he was a good man.

She had asked whether he could admit when he had hurt her.

And he was beginning to understand that the answer mattered more than his intentions.

At six thirty, his phone rang.

Edmund Viremont.

Theron stared at the screen.

He could have let it go to voicemail.

Instead, he answered.

"Father.""

"Theron. I've been trying to reach you.""

Edmund sounded exactly as he always did: controlled, dignified, faintly impatient.

"I heard about the unpleasant business with Corisande.""

"Is that what you're calling it?""

"Your wife has made quite a spectacle of herself. I've advised her to take the video down.""

Theron looked at Eirlys, who was arranging her toy animals in a row.

"Why were you discussing my daughter's trust with Corisande?""

A pause.

"What are you talking about?""

"The amendments to the marriage agreement.""

Another pause, longer this time.

"Where did you hear about those?""

Theron felt a cold smile form on his face.

"You just answered my question.""

"Don't be ridiculous. Your wife has always been obsessed with the family trust. I was trying to keep her from making a mess of things.""

"I heard the recording.""

Silence.

Then Edmund sighed.

"Who gave you that?""

"So it is real.""

"Theron, you don't understand what you're listening to.""

"Then explain it.""

"Not over the telephone.""

"Why not?""

"Because you're upset, and you're allowing an ugly domestic incident to cloud your judgment.""

Theron's hand tightened around the phone.

"Did you help Corisande forge my signature?""

"I did nothing of the sort.""

"Then why did you say I signed whatever you put in front of me?""

"Because you do, generally. That's not a crime.""

Theron stared out at the garden.

"Did you arrange for Alistair to control Eirlys's trust?""

Edmund's voice hardened.

"Your daughter needs a stable future. At the moment, you're making decisions that suggest you may not be the person best suited to provide it.""

The words struck with deliberate precision.

"You are using yesterday against me.""

"I'm telling you the truth.""

"No. You're telling me what you need me to believe.""

Edmund exhaled.

"Come to the house tomorrow. We'll discuss this privately.""

"Why?""

"Because I can explain everything.""

Theron glanced at Eirlys again.

"Bring the original documents.""

"Of course.""

"And Father?""

"Yes?""

"If I discover you have done anything to put Eirlys at risk, I will not protect you.""

Edmund's answer came quickly.

"You should be careful about making threats you cannot afford to carry out.""

The call ended.

Theron stood in the quiet room, the phone still pressed against his ear.

Eirlys looked up from her toys.

"Daddy?""

He turned.

"Yes, sweetheart?""

"Did Grandpa call?""

Theron lowered the phone.

"Yes.""

"Is Grandpa coming to see me?""

He hesitated.

"Maybe.""

Eirlys's face brightened for a moment.

Then she looked toward the window.

"Will he be mad at me, too?""

Theron felt the room go cold.

"Why would Grandpa be mad at you?""

She picked up the golden-haired doll and turned it over in her hands.

"Because Mommy said everybody gets mad when I make trouble.""

Theron crouched beside her.

"Who told you that?""

Eirlys stared at the doll.

"Mommy.""

He closed his eyes briefly.

When he opened them, his voice was steady.

"You are not trouble, Eirlys. You're a little girl. You're allowed to make mistakes, ask questions, and want attention. Adults are supposed to help you learn, not make you afraid.""

She looked at him for a long moment.

Then she placed the doll in his hand.

"Can you fix her?""

Theron examined the doll. One of its arms had come loose.

"I can try.""

He took it to the study and found a small repair kit in a drawer.

Eirlys sat beside him while he worked, occasionally offering advice that was both unhelpful and delivered with great confidence.

By the time he finished, the doll's arm was secure.

Eirlys hugged it.

"Thank you, Daddy.""

He smiled.

But when he looked at the doll again, he noticed a small strip of white paper tucked beneath its dress.