DAMIEN'S POV
Mr. Chen didn't blink. Didn't move. Just waited.
"I neglected your daughter throughout our marriage," I said. "I prioritized work over her. I forgot important dates. I made her feel invisible and unimportant. There's no excuse for any of it."
"Why did you do it?"
"I'm still figuring that out in therapy. Part of it was how I was raised—my mother made love conditional on achievement. Part of it was my own weakness. I couldn't stand up to her or set boundaries."
"You were a grown man. Married. You could have chosen differently."
"Yes, sir. I could have and should have."
Mr. Chen leaned forward. "Do you know what it's like to watch your daughter fall apart? To get phone calls at midnight because she's sobbing so hard she can't breathe? To hear her blame herself for your fai
