Chapter 37 - The Final Word
Arthur sobbed, his head dropping toward his chest. "I know! I know I was a monster! But I am a dying old man now. Doesn't that count for anything? Where is your compassion?"
"My compassion," I stated firmly, "is reserved for the victims of men like you. I spent the last three years building an agency that destroys abusive patriarchs who use money and violence to trap their children. I took the pain you inflicted on me, and I turned it into a weapon to protect others."
Arthur looked up, his eyes widening in shock as he finally truly looked at me. He saw the expensive tailored suit, the unyielding posture, and the absolute absence of fear in my eyes. He realized that his actions hadn't destroyed me; they had forged me into something untouchable.
"You built an empire," he whispered, a twisted mix of awe and regret in his voice.
"I did," I confirmed. "And I did it without you. I did it in spite of you."
"Then you have won, Nora," Arthur pleaded, desperation creeping back into his tone. "You won. Now please, give me peace. Just say you forgive me."
I leaned closer to the glass. "Forgiveness is earned, Arthur. It is not a free pass handed out at the end of a wicked life just because you are afraid of the dark."
"I am your father!" he yelled, a brief, pathetic flash of his old temper breaking through the illness. "You owe me!"
"I owe you absolutely nothing," I replied, my voice echoing with finality. "You broke my face to teach me obedience. But in doing so, you finally saw my spine. And you realized it was made of steel. You have to die with the knowledge that you failed, Arthur. That is your legacy."
I slowly placed the receiver back onto the hook, cutting off the audio.
May you like
Arthur screamed silently on the other side of the glass, banging his frail fists against the plexiglass, begging me to pick the phone back up.
I stood up, adjusted my blazer, and turned my back on him. I walked out of the visitation room, the heavy steel door clanging shut behind me, severing the tie forever. I walked out into the sunlight where Daniel was waiting, leaving the ghost of my past in the dark where he belonged.
