Chapter 4
So was I.
I had spent years believing my job as Liam’s father was to shield him from cruel rooms.
I had never considered how often that meant teaching him, without intending to, that cruel rooms belonged to other people.
I looked at him.
“You’re right.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Can somebody record that?”
The room laughed.
Even Elena laughed through the tears collecting in her eyes.
Victor looked toward the exit.
Daniel stepped aside rather than blocking him.
“You may leave voluntarily,” he said.
“Security will collect your access card downstairs.
Human resources will contact you regarding the investigation.
Do not contact staff members about their statements.”
Victor glanced at me one last time.
“You think replacing one manager fixes this?”
That question, unlike almost everything else he had said, was worth hearing.
“No,” I said.
“I don’t.”
He left.
No applause followed.
I was grateful for that.
This wasn’t a movie scene where removing one villain magically repaired every failure that had allowed him to operate.
The kitchen still needed leadership.
Employees still looked uncertain.
Guests still had half-finished meals cooling on their tables.
And my son’s birthday had become an investigation.
I sat back down.
“I’m sorry,” I told Liam.
“For Victor?”
“For bringing you here and thinking the worst thing that could happen was people staring.”
Liam poked his cake with a fork.
“The cake’s still good.”
“That’s your review?”
“Four stars.
Lost one for management.”
Elena covered her mouth, laughing.
I turned to her.
“You weren’t trying to make a statement when you asked him to dance, were you?”
She shook her head immediately.
“No.
I just heard him talking about his mom.
May you like
He was tapping the beat.
I thought he wanted to dance.”
