Max frowned. "What about Stacey? Did she die? I need an explanation!"
I reached into my luggage and pulled out Stacey's death certificate. I needed him to see the proof, to finally understand that our daughter was gone.
I handed it to him, and his face went pale as he read Stacey's name and the cause of death.
"Why didn't you call me?" he demanded, his voice laced with anger.
I opened my phone and showed him the call history. "I called you countless times, Max, but you never answered."
Max was speechless, his lips sealed as if by a zipper, while Lalaina hung her head, avoiding my gaze.
"That's it, Maximus. While you were frolicking on the beach with Lalaina, our daughter was fighting for her life in the hospital. If you only knew how hard she fought, how she waited for you at the festival, but you never came. She grew weaker and weaker because you weren't there." Tears streamed down my face.