“I understand,” he said. “But before I go, may I say a few words? A toast to my daughter.”

He took the microphone and spoke about losing my mother, raising me alone, working long hours, and doing honest work. He said he was proud I became a doctor because I care about people.

Years earlier, after a storm, he’d found a briefcase filled with permits and contracts at a construction site. He turned it in anonymously. Later, he realized those documents belonged to my in-laws’ business—papers that would have ruined them if lost.

“I didn’t do it for credit,” he said. “I did it because it was right.”

The room was silent.

I stood up. “My father is staying. He’s not an embarrassment—he’s the reason I’m standing here today.”

Ethan stepped beside me. “If anyone has a problem with that,” he said calmly, “they’re free to leave.”

Some guests did.

My father stayed—right by my side.

You don’t get to judge someone by their job or where they come from. Dignity isn’t something you give or take. It’s something you carry—and my father taught me how.

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