I stared at him.
“You sold my father’s workshop because you wanted new kitchen cabinets?”
“It’s not just cabinets. The whole kitchen needs updating.”
“And you were going to tell me afterward?”
“I thought once you saw what we could accomplish with the money, you’d understand.”
I looked toward the open storage unit.
“Why didn’t you ask me first?”
He said nothing.
“Dereck, why?”
Finally, he answered.
“Because I knew you’d say no.”
Those words hurt more than I expected.
He hadn’t misunderstood my feelings.
He hadn’t forgotten how important the workshop was to me.
He knew exactly what my answer would be.
And he’d deliberately arranged everything so I wouldn’t have the opportunity to stop him.
Mom stepped forward.
“Where are the tools you already removed?”
Dereck hesitated.
“They’re in our garage.”
“All of them?” I asked.
“Everything I took.”
