When my father emailed threatening to sue me for “reputational harm,” Thaddeus answered in a single line: Leland — her reputation wasn’t damaged by Danae.

It was exposed by your own handwriting.

Chapter 19 — The Facade

Then the real state of things came out.

The lavish retirement party had been a set piece built on nothing.

My father had lost a large part of his savings in a failed real-estate venture out of state.

My mother had been running her whole high-society life on credit.

And to keep Lucienne afloat, they had taken high-interest loans against their own house.

I had spent years believing I was the daughter who leaned on them.

I had it exactly backwards.