Dad had nowhere left to go.
His manufactured reality had collapsed around him.
The silk-suited patriarch.
The country club king.
The self-appointed family dictator.
Gone.
He pointed at me with a violently shaking finger.
“You You trapped me. You hid your identity to humiliate me. You are an ungrateful child.”
His voice cracked on the final word.
Judge Okafor didn’t hesitate.
“Enough. All claims are dismissed with prejudice. Furthermore, I am forwarding the transcript of today’s proceedings to the US attorney’s office to review Mr. White for federal perjury charges. Any anonymous letters you sent to the military will now become evidence against you.”
The gavel fell one final time.
Court was adjourned.
I calmly packed my files.
Every document aligned.
Every pen capped.
The briefcase latch clicked shut.
Around me, the courtroom dissolved into chaos.
Foss scrambled to collect his papers, but his hands shook so badly that several slid from the table.
