Whenever I hit a wall in my coursework and wanted to ask him for guidance, he'd shake his head with that disappointed expression and walk away—then turn around and tutor Chloe instead.
Now I'd relied on myself to get here, and he actually...
My chest felt stuffed with cotton. Tears fell in heavy drops.
"Dad..."
"Enough. Keep making a scene, and it won't just be that this hospital never hires you—I, Nathaniel Gilbert, also don't have a daughter this senseless!"
The moment he finished, thunderous applause erupted around us.
"Bravo! Director Gilbert is truly selfless! A director like this is the people's director!"
"Exactly! With leadership like this, we can trust the hospital with our lives! This is real integrity!"
"As for his daughter—honestly, embarrassing. Trying to ride her father's coattails. Good thing he put her in her place!"
For the first time, I saw the father I'd worshipped as an idol and life mentor as a complete stranger.
Like a hero, he basked in their admiration with a smile, utterly indifferent to the contempt in their eyes when they looked at me—his biological daughter.
Something in my heart came loose.