Simon stepped off the stage, the tattered yellow blanket in one hand and the letter in the other, walking straight toward Joanna.

Denise scrambled to her feet and stepped into his path, desperate to reassert her authority.

“I’m your mother, Simon. I’m the one who brought you into this world!” she hissed, trying to reclaim the narrative.

Simon stopped, his face stone cold.

“Yes, you brought me into the world—but everyone in this room needs to know why you really came back here today.”

Part 3: The Breaking Point

Denise turned deathly pale, looking like a small child caught in an elaborate lie.