One night, Alice received a call from an unfamiliar number, followed by a text: “ALICE, THIS IS YOUR DAD. PLEASE CALL, I AM IN THE HOSPITAL.” Shocked, she called back. Her father, who had been absent for 20 years, was on the other end. “I don’t have much time,” he said. He revealed that her grandfather paid him to leave, calling him a failure. “I left because your grandfather, Harold, paid me to disappear. He hated me,” her dad explained. Alice, angry and confused, struggled to understand.

Her father confessed he took the money and built a business to secure her future. “I invested that money, built a business. It was all for you, Alice,” he claimed. Despite watching her from afar, he honored the deal to stay away. He expressed deep regret, saying, “I tried to make it right.” Alice was torn between anger and pity, unsure if she could forgive him.

Encouraged by her friend Jen, Alice decided to visit him at St. Mary’s Hospital. There, her father, frail and remorseful, handed her a key to a safety deposit box containing letters and financial documents. “I can’t leave this world without you knowing the truth. I love you, Alice,” he said before passing away.

Alice discovered the letters detailing his regrets and love. Confronting her mother, she learned her mother knew about the deal but believed it was best for Alice. Using the money her father left, Alice started a scholarship fund in his name, finding peace and understanding.