At Christmas Dinner, My Dad Handed Out 37 Gifts—Then Told My Daughter She Wasn’t “On the List.” I Just Said, “Okay. Goodbye.” Minutes Later, A Call Asked: “Can You Confirm the Cancellation?”

One of my uncles murmured something about misunderstanding. Another aunt said she was sure I would calm down. My mom quickly added that I had always had a habit of making everything about myself, especially when I didn’t get the attention I wanted. She said that they had been patient for many years while I made, in her words, “questionable choices.”

I stood by the foyer, hidden from their view by the corner of the wall. My fists curled at my sides. My ears burned.

James looked over his shoulder at me, his jaw tight.

It got worse.

My mom went on, saying that I had used Lily to gain sympathy, that I played the single mom card whenever it was convenient. She told them I had come to them more than once begging for money, which was a flat-out lie. She said they had done their best to keep giving me chances, but that I always threw it back in their faces.

One of my dad’s friends, a man who knew him from the country club, asked about the video. My dad laughed, a short, dismissive sound.