I looked at her without anger. That surprised me most of all. I simply no longer had the strength to keep fighting for a seat in a place where no one had ever wanted me to sit.

“I’m not coming back to beg for anything.”

Claire whispered, “You’ll regret this.”

Nathan answered for me. “No. She’ll remember it.”

I walked toward the front door. As I passed the table, everyone suddenly seemed to remember my name. One aunt tried to touch my shoulder. Logan muttered something about “not burning bridges.”

My father followed me into the foyer.