Money revealed what they were willing to give.
I folded the document.
Then Miriam cleared her throat.
“There is one more thing.”
I groaned.
“If you say those words again, I’m firing you.”
She laughed.
“No legal surprise.”
“Good.”
“Tyler told me something about the birthday.”
My smile faded.
“What?”
“He never told you why the cake landed in your face.”
I frowned.
“He threw it.”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
Miriam looked toward him.
“You should ask him.”
So I did.
Tyler went pale when I brought it up later.
“I thought we were done with secrets,” I said.
“We are.”
“Then tell me.”
He sat on the couch.
“The cake wasn’t supposed to hit you.”
“What?”
“Dad told me to knock it toward you.”
My stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“He wanted you angry.”
I stared at him.
Tyler looked sick.
“The camera on Mom’s phone was already recording. Dad said if you yelled or lost control, it would help.”
The room became very quiet.
Of course.
One more staged incident.
One more piece of evidence.
“But you shoved the whole cake.”
Tyler nodded.
“Why?”
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then said the last thing I ever expected.
“Because I already knew.”
I froze.
“Knew what?”
“About the folder.”
My breath caught.
“I found it the night before your birthday.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me immediately?”
“I was scared you wouldn’t believe me.”
That hurt because he was probably right.
At that point, I might have defended Mark.
Explained Lisa.
Forgiven Tyler.
Kept the peace.
Tyler continued.
“I heard Dad say he needed one more video before the doctor appointment.”
“So you went along with it?”
His eyes filled.
“For about three seconds.”
I waited.
“When Dad told me to bump the cake, I realized everybody would laugh. I knew you’d finally get mad.”
My heart began beating harder.
“You wanted me angry?”
“I wanted you to throw us out.”
I stared at him.
He swallowed.
“I thought if you told us to leave, Dad would panic. And if he panicked…”
“He might reveal something.”
Tyler nodded.
“I had my phone recording in my pocket.”
The world seemed to rearrange itself.
The cake.
The laughter.
His apology.
My refusal to forgive instantly.
The order to pack.
Mark’s panic.
Tyler saying there was something I didn’t know.
“You planned that?”
“Not all of it.”
He wiped his eyes.
“I didn’t know you’d say ‘start packing.’ I just knew I had to make you stop forgiving us.”
I sat beside him.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
“You humiliated me.”
“I know.”
“You could have simply told me.”
“I was sixteen.”
“I know.”
“I was terrified of Dad.”
