His chair scraped loudly as he stood.
“You can’t just throw me out.”
“Yes, I can. Every document is in my name.”
Emily rose as well.
“For years, I told myself that your inability to make decisions without asking your father would eventually change. I thought you would grow out of it. I thought you would become more independent.”
She looked directly at him.
“You didn’t.”
Daniel’s gaze moved helplessly from her face to the laptop and then toward the hallway, as though some exit existed that would allow him to escape what he had done.
“You won’t last long on your own,” he said finally.
The words sounded more desperate than threatening.
Emily’s expression barely changed.
“I’ve been living as if I were alone for quite a while. For the last two years, I’ve handled almost everything myself. You just never noticed because you were too busy following your father’s instructions.”
“I’ll call him right now. He’ll explain where the money went.”
“Go ahead.”
Daniel reached for his phone.
“But you won’t be calling him from here. I’ll pack your things by morning. Leave your key on the shelf beside the front door.”
“Emily!”
“This conversation is finished.”
She pointed toward the hall.
“Go. And don’t raise your voice at me. If you do, I’ll have you out before you have time to take anything with you.”
Daniel stood in the center of the kitchen for nearly a minute.
Then he spun around, walked out, and slammed the door behind him.
Emily calmly closed the laptop.
Her hands did not shake.
A week passed.
She did not change her phone number, silence every call, or try to disappear.
She knew perfectly well what would happen next.
Daniel would confront his father. The family would explode. There would be accusations, excuses, demands, explanations, and probably pleas.
