Condensed Story Summary (~2000 characters) When Iris lost her mother Polly, grief consumed her. At the funeral, she slipped a heartfelt letter into her mother’s casket—confessing regrets, love, and longing. That letter was meant to be a final goodbye.
Five years later, Iris received a mysterious envelope. Inside was her own letter—word for word. More letters followed, written as if from her mother, urging Iris to reconnect with her estranged father, William. Confused and shaken, Iris agreed to meet him.
William, once absent and unrepentant, now seemed remorseful. They spent months rebuilding a fragile bond. But then came the twist: he asked for $15,000 to cover a loan. Iris stalled, suspicious. Eventually, she found the original letter hidden in his apartment—he had stolen it from the casket and used it to manipulate her.
Confronted, William admitted everything. He’d used her grief to get close, but claimed he genuinely wanted to be her father again. Iris was torn. He had betrayed her deeply, yet also showed up consistently, remembered her quirks, and cared for her during hard times.
Now, she holds the letter and the dilemma: Can she forgive a man who weaponized her pain? Or is some love too broken to mend?
