That night, I received a text from an unknown number: “ALICE, THIS IS YOUR DAD. PLEASE CALL, I AM IN THE HOSPITAL.” I was shocked. After twenty years, why now? I called him back.

“Dad, why are you calling now?” I asked, my voice sharp.

He explained that my grandfather paid him to disappear, seeing him as a failure and replacing him with someone “better” for my mom. He left for money but built a business to secure my future.

“Why didn’t you come back?” I asked.

“I couldn’t. Part of the deal was to stay away, but I watched you from a distance,” he said, his voice weak.

He asked me to visit him in the hospital. The next morning, I called my best friend Jen for advice. After some thought, I decided to go for closure.

At the hospital, my father was frail, and his apology was full of regret. He handed me a key to a safety deposit box, where I’d find letters and proof of his sacrifice. He died shortly after our conversation.

I read the letters, filled with love and apologies, and learned that he truly did try to secure my future. His sacrifice was clear, but it didn’t erase the pain he caused.

I confronted my mom, who admitted she knew about the offer but kept it a secret to protect me. In the end, I decided to use the money to start a scholarship in my father’s name, finding peace and closure.