Chapter 6: The Ultimatum at the Gate
Thomas pressed the security monitor on the kitchen wall. The high-definition camera showed James Miller standing alone in the pouring rain at the wrought-iron gates, drenched to the bone, his tuxedo ruined.
“I’m not leaving, Thomas!” James’s voice crackled through the intercom speaker. “Please, let me see my children! Let me speak to Clara!”
Clara stared at the screen. The man looked utterly broken, stripped of the polished arrogance he had worn at the altar. But she knew that regret born out of getting caught was not the same as genuine repentance.
“Do you want me to have security remove him?” Thomas asked, his hand hovering over the call button.
“No,” Clara said, standing up. “I’ll talk to him. He needs to hear this once, and only once.”
Grabbing an umbrella, Clara walked down the long driveway toward the main gate. The rain beat heavily against the black fabric above her head. As she reached the bars, James stepped forward, gripping the cold iron with trembling, red-raw hands.
“Clara... thank God,” he gasped, water streaming down his face. “My mother... I cut her off. I walked out of the penthouse. I told her I’m resigning from the firm.”
“Did you do that for your children, James, or did you do it hoping I’d take you back?” Clara asked coldly.
James froze. The hesitation in his eyes answered the question before his lips could move.
“You still don’t get it,” Clara said, shaking her head. “Seven years ago, you had two babies who needed a father. You let your mother buy you off with a corner office and a clean slate. You let yourself believe they were fine because it was convenient for your conscience.”
“I was terrified of her!” James cried out. “She threatened to destroy everything I ever worked for!”
“A real father destroys the world before he lets the world destroy his children,” Clara replied, her voice cutting through the downpour. “You chose your comfort over their survival. And now their mother is dying in my guest room because she couldn't afford the treatment your stolen trust fund was supposed to pay for.”
James staggered back as if struck by lightning. “D-dying? Sarah is dying?”
May you like
“Yes. And while you were busy trying to salvage your social standing, she was spending her last ounce of breath to make sure Lily and Leo didn't end up in foster care.” Clara stepped closer to the gate. “If you truly have an ounce of humanity left, James, you will stay away from this gate. You will let Sarah spend her final days in peace. And you will prepare yourself to answer for everything your mother did.”
---
