The meeting ended without another word.
One by one, the elders stood and left the chamber. My parents followed them. My father did not even look back at me.
My mother paused at the door. For a moment, I thought she might say something.
She didn’t. She simply walked away.
I remained seated.
The room suddenly felt much larger than before. Deucalion was still there, standing near the window with his back toward me. His parents had already left.
I stared at him. “So that’s it?”
He didn’t turn.
“The decision has been made.”
“You all are just so pathetic.” My voice came out bitter. “I just thought I should at least have a say in my own life.”
He finally turned around. “You had a say.”
I laughed without humor. “When?”
His eyes hardened. “You asked to leave. The answer was no.”
“That
