“Yes,” my father said. “She told Derek that if he joined that firm, he was choosing your side.”

“And Derek listened to her?” I asked.

“He declined the offer yesterday,” my father said. “She forced him to call the managing partner while she sat in the room.”

I gripped the edge of my desk, my knuckles turning white.

“Why didn’t you stop her, Dad?” I asked, my voice rising.

“I tried,” he said quietly. “I stood up from my chair. I opened my mouth.”

“And?” I asked.

“She looked at me,” he said. “Just looked at me. And I sat back down.”

The silence on the line was heavy.

“I am a coward, Sarah,” he said. “But Derek doesn’t have to be. He is miserable.”

“Why did he come to my office today?” I asked.

“To see if you were as monstrous as Helen says you are,” Arthur said. “He wanted to see if you actually cared about him.”

“I do care about him,” I said.

“Then don’t let her do this to him,” my father said. “Please. He is at the coffee shop on University Avenue right now.”