“Revenge would have been firing everyone from your dining room on Christmas Eve.
I didn’t do that.”
Claire finally spoke.
“Daniel, please.”
He looked at her.
It was the first time they had been in the same room since she had placed divorce papers in his hands.
Three days earlier, she had stood beside her father while Sophie shivered outside.
Now her voice was soft.
“My family depends on those jobs.”
Daniel waited a moment before answering.
“So did Sophie depend on you.”
Claire’s eyes dropped.
Martin slapped his palm against the desk.
“Don’t bring the girl into this.”
Daniel stood.
The movement was quiet, but Martin stopped speaking.
“My daughter was outside your house in the snow wearing a sweater because she defended me when you insulted me.”
“She was disrespectful.”
“She was sixteen.”
“She needed discipline.”
“You locked a child outside on Christmas Eve.”
Martin opened his mouth.
Daniel continued.
“And her stepmother watched.”
Claire flinched.
Daniel turned toward her.
“You knew who I was.
You knew exactly what your family’s income depended on.
And you still let them treat me as if earning less money would have made me less worthy of respect.”
Claire shook her head.
“It wasn’t about money.”
“Then why did nobody respect the handyman?”
She had no answer.
That question seemed to bother Martin more than the termination letter.
He paced toward the windows.
“You lied to us.”
Daniel looked almost surprised.
“No.
I never told you I didn’t own the company.”
“You let us believe you were some field worker.”
“I do field work.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes,” Daniel said.
“I do.”
Martin turned back.
“You wanted to make fools of us.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Claire asked me to keep quiet because she said you would treat me differently if you knew I owned the company.”
Martin glanced at his daughter.
Daniel continued.
“She was right.”
No one spoke for several seconds.
Then Claire stepped forward and placed the divorce folder on the desk.
“I was angry.”
Daniel looked at it.
“You filed the papers before Christmas Eve.”
