A wave of murmurs rippled through the auditorium, a collective gasp of realization washing over the parents and faculty.

Denise abruptly switched off her phone, the screen going black.

“Simon, please, stop this right now,” Dorothy whispered urgently from her seat, but her plea went unheard.

Simon didn’t stop, his eyes burning with a righteous fire he’d kept hidden for years.

“A week ago, while I was hunting for old photos for my graduation video, I found something tucked inside a forgotten shoebox in the attic.”

He pulled out a wrinkled envelope, and Joanna felt a sudden chill, recognizing at once the jagged, hurried handwriting of her sister.

Simon opened the envelope and read the contents aloud, his voice stripped of any warmth.