“It’s true,” she said calmly. “You stopped showing up. You stopped answering. I was barely breathing, Evan, and you couldn’t even pretend to care.” He faltered, eyes dropping to the floor. “My mom handled what she could,” she continued evenly.
“And then my grandfather’s inheritance came through. It was more than we expected — enough to cover everything. Enough for me to start over.” Evan’s face shifted — surprise first, then something greedier underneath. “That’s… incredible. For us.”