Chapter 17 - Michael’s Choice
Michael looked smaller in jail clothes.
Not physically.
Morally.
The confidence was gone.
The excuses too.
He sat behind thick glass.
I picked up the phone.
“So.”
He looked at me.
“Lily okay?”
“Yes.”
“Does she hate me?”
“I haven’t taught her to hate you.”
His eyes closed briefly.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me.”
“She knows what you did.”
He nodded.
“I deserve that.”
For once, he did not say but.
No explanation followed.
No attempt to reduce the damage.
“I loved staying with you guys,” he said.
“I know you won’t believe me.”
“I did.”
“Lily made everything feel normal.”
“Then Victor offered to fix my debt.”
“I told myself borrowing from the trust wasn’t stealing because I would put it back.”
“Then every time I crossed one line, the next line looked smaller.”
I listened.
Not because he deserved comfort.
Because I needed closure.
“When did you realize Evelyn might hurt Lily?”
“The morning of the luncheon.”
My jaw tightened.
“What happened?”
“She asked me where you kept the injectors.”
“I thought she wanted to remove one.”
“To make you look careless.”
“I told her there were two.”
“Then she said, ‘One mistake won’t be enough.’”
I stared at him.
“And you still didn’t stop her.”
His face broke.
“No.”
“Why?”
“I was afraid if I backed out, Victor would expose me.”
I leaned closer to the glass.
“So you chose yourself.”
“Yes.”
The honesty hurt more than excuses would have.
Michael lowered his head.
“I chose myself.”
“That’s what I have to live with.”
I left without forgiving him.
Forgiveness was not a door someone could demand opened.
Maybe someday.
Maybe never.
Michael pleaded guilty to financial theft, conspiracy, falsifying records, and assisting the guardianship scheme.
His cooperation reduced his sentence.
It did not erase it.
He also signed away any future claim or guardianship request involving Lily.
When I told Lily he was going away for a while, she cried.
So did I.
Not for the man he had become.
For the brother I thought I had.
Then Evelyn requested a meeting.
Not with me.
With Lily.
I refused immediately.
Her attorney petitioned anyway.
The judge scheduled a hearing.
And suddenly, even after everything she had done, Evelyn was asking the court for grandparent visitation.
I was furious.
Rebecca remained calm.
“Let her ask.”
“Why?”
“Because this time, Daniel…”
She closed the file.
May you like
“…we’re going to let the whole truth answer her.”
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