"He was the only one who stood up for you when you were trapped in that academic scandal! The only one who fought to clear your name!"
"And you gave his surgery money to the student who accused you of sexual harassment? Jarvis, do you even have a heart?"
A flicker of impatience cut through his guilt.
"Yes, but she was desperate back then. Nowhere to turn, people whispering in her ear. She didn't do it on purpose."
"Can you stop dragging up the past every single day? I've always been grateful for what Dad did for me, but honestly, even without his help, it was only a matter of time before I was cleared. Stop bringing it up over and over, okay? Keep pushing it and sympathy turns into disgust."
My legs went soft. I stared at him in disbelief.
Sympathy… into disgust?
My father had spent his entire career never bowing to anyone. A proud, principled old professor. And to save Jarvis, he'd pulled every string he could find, drunk himself sick at banquet after banquet, landed in the hospital twice.
Everything that once made Jarvis sick with guilt and regret now rolled off him like it was nothing.
He saw the color drain from my face and softened his tone.