Kate’s father abandoned her when she was only eight, moving abroad to start a new family and cutting all contact except for the occasional birthday card — which she later learned wasn’t even written by him. Raised solely by her mom, Kate grew up learning not to expect anything from her father. Now, after his death, her family is pressuring her to take an expensive 20-hour flight to attend his funeral, warning her that she’ll regret it if she doesn’t go.

For Kate, the idea feels unbearable. His new family expects her to grieve publicly, even though he never cared enough to be part of her life. She doesn’t see why she should stand at his grave pretending he was ever a father to her. The resentment and pain run too deep for her to simply play along for appearances.

But things became complicated when one of her half-siblings reached out privately. They revealed a box of letters Kate’s father had written to her over the years but never sent because his wife — Kate’s stepmother — kept them hidden. The letters were filled with apologies and regret, including one where he said he had even bought tickets to visit her but couldn’t go through with it.

Now Kate is torn. She feels justified in staying home to protect herself, but the letters make her wonder if her father truly regretted abandoning her. She doesn’t know if refusing to attend makes her heartless or simply someone setting healthy boundaries, even if others see her as the villain.