AllFreeNovel
Share Us
This time, his nostrils flared. "You ungrateful child. After risking my reputation and the image I've spent the last two decades building, you have the nerve to ask that?"
His voice was the angriest I had ever heard, but I didn't let it faze me.
"I almost died!" I threw back, a traitorous tear falling.
"And whose fault was that?" he yelled, the veins in his neck popping. "Whose fucking fault was that?"
Mine. It was mine. I let out a sob, momentarily forgetting my resolve not to ever let him see me fall apart. My father did not believe in soft love, and my mother was the only person I'd seen him completely soft with.
To his children, however, he was comfortable playing bad cop. His upbringing had not been smooth, and he'd told us numerous times that he was primarily concerned with our protection, which meant financially and physically.
"I warned you many times," he continued. "I gave you numerous reasons why that fucker wasn't good enough for you, and you chose to ignore me."
I threw my hands up in the air, defeated. "Jesus Christ. I fell in love. So fucking what? Why is that such a bad thing?"
"Because just like you said, you almost died! For one week, your mother sat in that hospital room watching your almost lifeless form with tears streaming down her face because her daughter fell in love." He said the last word like it was shit beneath his shoes. "Do you understand the lengths I had to go to just so everything could be kept under wraps?"
I couldn't see clearly with all the helpless tears in my eyes. "I didn't ask you for any of that."
"And that's exactly the problem!" He tugged off his jacket and threw it on the desk angrily. "You ungrateful brat. That's the problem. Your actions were thoughtless and reckless, without any care for your family." He snorted. "And you call it love."
I wanted to retort, but nothing came to mind. So I stood there, staring face-to-face with a father who was as thick-headed as they came, and I cried. I cried so hard the office echoed with the choking sounds of my sobs.
My father blinked and then sighed loudly. "Wipe your tears, Felicity. Contrary to what you think, I'm not a monster. I know we don't see eye-to-eye, but I can't stand the sight of you crying."
I cried harder, not just because his words hurt me, but also because I didn't know how best to convey my anger that he hadn't been there for me.
I knew my choices had brought shame to the family, but I was a nineteen-year-old girl desperate for my own story and just wanted it to be my turn.
For a very long time, I'd had to live knowing that nobody would really love me for me because of my family's wealth. I hadn't wanted a love that was restricted by that limitation, and because of that, I’d fallen into the arms of the first person who convinced me that he could catch me.
When I was sure I could speak without bursting into tears, I sniffled loudly. "We both know you don't care about me. The only thing you care about is your reputation."
At that, he gave me a look filled with disappointment. "The child you were carrying died, Felicity. Anybody with half a brain knows not to drive when they're not in the right state of mind. But you took that risk knowing you had another life to protect. And until the day I die, I'll never understand why."
At that moment, the door to the office burst open, and Derick came practically running in. He took in the tears running down my face and my father's guarded expression and sighed deeply, rushing to me.
"Dad, for the love of all things holy." He wrapped his arms around me and let me cry on his shoulders. "People are standing outside your fucking door trying to eavesdrop, which is unnecessary because if you yelled any louder, people in Antarctica would hear you!"
Why couldn't Dad be more like him?
"Of course, I'm the bad guy. I'm always the bad guy. Not your sister, who's hellbent on making a fool of me." My father fell back down onto his seat and tore furiously at his well-done tie until it came off his neck. "And don't you dare come into my office and tell me what to do, you little shit. You should convince your selfish sister of her loyalty to her family."
I exhaled through my nose, straightening and wiping my cheeks. "Just delete the details of the game, and I'll go."
All he did was raise a brow in my direction.
"Dad, come on." Derick sighed again, massaging his temple with his index and forefingers. "I can't believe you would stoop to such a level. Just delete them."
"Damnit, son. God decided to punish me the day he gave me you two as children."
Derick tensed next to me. I only shook my head because I didn't expect anything less. I guessed God decided to punish all three of us, then. We must have been terrible people in our past lives.
But something bugged me. "How did you get the details of the game? Who leaked it to you?"
My father shrugged like my life falling apart was the least of his concerns before leaning back against his chair. "My source has requested to stay anonymous."
A surge of anger went through me. Was this a joke to him? Furious air blew out of my nose like an angry bull. My father and I were like fire and ice. If I came on too strong, he would push back with equal fervor, and we both knew he was stronger than me.
