They Erased Me, So I Rewrote My Life Chapter 52

They Erased Me, So I Rewrote My Life Chapter 52

On television, Alexander Walton, once so powerful, stood before a podium and conceded his election loss.

He didn’t attack his opponent the way he would have in the past.

He began talking about family, about what he had neglected, about the things he had lost while chasing power.

“I once thought I could hold on to everything at once.” His voice came through the television, carrying a rare exhaustion. “But when you lose the most important part, you realize that what’s left in your hands has no meaning.”

Standing beside him, Mother looked as if she had aged a decade overnight.

It was the end of his political career.

And his last public performance.

“Sounds pretty pitiful,” Uncle Manuel said, tossing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. His assessment was characteristically blunt.

Leo said nothing. He just held me from behind, resting his chin lightly on my shoulder.

We sat in our small Oregon living room and watched the man who had once controlled my life, as if watching a television show that had nothing to do with us.

A few days later, they came.

No campaign team. No media. Just a rented Ford parked in the farm driveway.

They looked much older.

Mother’s roots were visibly gray.

“Eliza.” Father’s voice was hoarse when he spoke. He tried to smile, but couldn’t. “Can we talk?”

I folded my arms and looked at them.