Their faces froze instantly.
I watched Nathaniel’s cheeks flush, little by little.
He let out a furious, sarcastic laugh, pointing straight at me, his voice shaking the entire hall:
“Didn’t you say you felt nothing for this family? Then why did you come back?”
“You—who spent three years in prison—you’re the disgrace of the entire Locke family. Who allowed you to return?”
He spoke each word like a blade—cold and sharp.
“You can leave right now. No one will stop you. These years without you, we lived well—much happier than when you were here.”
“You come back and immediately throw an attitude at us, as if we owe you something.”
He exhaled, as if delivering a verdict:
“Remember this—just because your mother and I gave birth to you, doesn’t mean we owe you anything for the rest of our
