Olivia listened, her expression calm but inscrutable. She had relived this moment countless times in her mind. Now that it was here, she simply nodded. “It’s not me who needs your apology,” she replied softly, gesturing to their children.

Each of them looked Jacob in the eye, and though pain lingered in their gazes, there was also an unexpected compassion. “We don’t need anything from you,” said Mia, the lawyer. “But we want you to know the life you missed—because it was a good one.”

Jacob nodded, tears brimming as he realized that while he had lost his chance to be a father, Olivia had succeeded in giving them everything they needed. His heart ached with the realization of the life he could have had, the memories he could have made.

As they parted ways, Olivia and her children felt a sense of relief. The burden of doubt had finally been lifted, and they were free to live without the shadow of Jacob’s rejection. They had never needed his validation, but now they had the truth to silence the whispers.