On February 28th—my birthday—my family gathered in a private dining room. The table was immaculate, the atmosphere formal, and the energy strangely cool.
Inside was a formal declaration that I was no longer part of the Dixon family. No support. No future financial ties. No connection to their name.
They waited for my face to fall.
Instead, I folded the letter and placed it in my bag.
“Thank you,” I said. “This makes things much clearer.”
My father looked startled. “Clearer how?”
“I don’t owe you anything anymore. You just put it in writing.”
I stood up, gently placed my napkin on the table, and added:
“My new chapter begins tomorrow. And you won’t be part of it.”
