My whole body went still.
"What… what do you mean my last?"
"The gardener's son," he said. "Simone or whatever his name is. I saw the way you used to look at him. I saw you two kissing on the porch."
My stomach dropped. "What are you talking about?"
"You think his deportation and his father's accident were just coincidence?"
The words didn't land right away.
Then they did.
My eyes went wide. "No. Nooooo…"
My chest tightened.
All these years I thought Simone had just… left. That he ghosted me. That maybe he regretted what we did.
But it was him.
It was my dad.
"Dad…" my voice broke. "I was thirteen. You knew about me since I was thirteen?! And you still hurt him?"
"I was protecting you. Protecting this family."
"By destroying someone's life?" My throat burned. "You're a monster."
He sighed. "Then maybe think twice before your new boyfriend ends up the same way."
I froze. "No," I whispered. "You wouldn't…. You wouldn't dare hurt Ash."
