I sat completely still.
My father.
The man whose name had shaped my childhood.
The man everyone trusted.
“What did you discover?” I whispered.
As if she could hear me.
The recording continued.
“There are things you were too young to understand.”
A pause.
“But now you are older. Now you can decide what kind of person you want to become.”
I wiped my face.
“Your father kept secrets.”
My heart tightened.
“He told people I was unstable. He told people I abandoned you.”
The room felt colder.
“But the truth is…”
The recording suddenly became distorted.
The sound broke apart.
I leaned closer.
“No…”
I tapped the recorder.
“Please.”
The static grew louder.
Then her voice returned.
Only for a few seconds.
“The truth is that your father…”
The recording cut off.
Silence.
I stared at the device.
“No.”
I pressed the button again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
The final words were gone.
