From family members attempting to patch things up, each more apologetic than the last. But one call stood out—my father’s voice, usually so firm and commanding, now quivered like a brittle leaf in the wind. “Virgil, please,” he began, urgency lacing his words. “You have to help Derek. He’s in trouble at work. They’re talking about letting him go.”
I listened in silence, the weight of my father’s plea sinking in. My mind raced back to yesterday’s incident and the sheer indifference Derek had shown, as if burning Lucas’s toys was merely a minor inconvenience.
“What happened?” I asked, my tone deliberately flat.
“He’s been missing deadlines, arguing with his boss. If he loses this job—”
“Dad,” I interrupted, my voice steady, “I know about the job. That was the plan.”
There was a pause, and I could almost picture the confusion etched across his face. “What do you mean?”
I sighed, glancing at Lucas, who was now playing quietly in the living room, his tear-streaked face replaced with a look of concentration as he pieced together a puzzle. “Derek’s been taking things for granted—his family, his job, everything. He thinks he’s untouchable. It’s time he learned otherwise.”
“Virgil, this isn’t the way to solve things,” my father insisted, desperation creeping back into his voice. “We’re family.”
