Part 1Seven Years Late To His Wifes Funeral

Seven years after my parents’ divorce, I earned my acceptance letter to The Westwood Institute.

At the freshman orientation ceremony, I saw him: Pierce Harrison, attending as a major investment representative.

My father.

He froze for a fraction of a second when he saw me, his voice hesitant as he spoke: “Aubrey, is your mother… is she doing well?”

I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat and turned to walk away.

He quickly grabbed my arm. “Tell your mother to call me. We should all have dinner together.”

My eyes instantly welled up. I yanked my arm away.

How utterly ridiculous.

How can a dead woman have dinner with you?

* * *

As soon as the ceremony ended, my friend, Maya, rushed over, her voice soft and cautious.

“Aubrey, is Pierce Harrison… your dad?”

I kept my head down, offering no reply.

Seeing my silence, Maya gently tried to comfort me. “Are you okay? I truly didn't realize he was a major backer for the school.”

“The Freshman Gala is this afternoon. You might run into him again…”

I managed a faint smile, cutting her off. “Don’t worry. I already asked for an excused absence. I have other plans this afternoon.”

Maya visibly relaxed a little, but the worry still hung in her eyes. “Please don’t try to pretend you’re fine. I hate it when you put on that brave face.”

I squeezed her shoulder. “I’m heading out now.”

I hadn't walked far from the auditorium when an administrator, Mr. Keller, rushed up to stop me.

He asked me to go to the Dean’s office.

“It’s Pierce Harrison, isn’t it?” I stated, the finality in my tone leaving no room for doubt.

Before he could answer, I refused him flat out.

“Please tell him that there is nothing for us to discuss.”

“I have an appointment. I’m leaving now.”

The administrator was stunned for a moment, clearly aware of some of the history.

He quickly grasped my arm, his tone complex. “Miss Monroe, I can’t speak to your family matters. But Mr. Harrison is your father, after all. What kind of feud could there be? He just wants to see you…”

Feud?

Father?

No father poisons his child’s mother.

He took both of my parents from me in one fell swoop.

Seeing him for the first time in seven years, I didn’t look nearly as distraught as I used to. I was calm, like I was looking at a complete stranger.

But I hadn't moved on.

At the very least, I couldn’t move on for my mother.

Pierce Harrison’s betrayal couldn’t just be written off.

Leaving campus, I headed straight for the cemetery.

I placed my mother’s favorite irises carefully at her headstone.

The woman in the photo looked vibrant, her smile bright and carefree.

It was taken when she and Pierce were dating.

Back then, they were the campus Golden Couple, the envy of everyone.

They won competitions together, spent countless hours in the library, and led the school to victory in debate—they were like a couple living out a perfect romantic movie.

I even used them as the inspiration for a short story I wrote. Everyone who read it said it was the sweetest thing.

But reality isn't a storybook.

The ending of our story was anything but sweet.

I wiped the dust from her picture, forcing a smile. “Mom, starting today, I’m a university student.”

“I told you I’d get in. See? I didn’t lie.”

“Do you remember promising me that we’d go to a concert together when I got into college? I went by myself. It was Fiona Apple—your favorite.”

As I spoke, my voice caught in my throat.

“Mom, I saw him today…”

“…I still hate him. But I hate myself more.”