- 9.
After Dad and Mom’s divorce, Miller Corp.
stock crashes.
They lose some big contracts.
So we sell our shares, Miller Corp can’t buy
them back, they’re screwed.
Then, someone knocks on the door.
It’s Dad, he looks tired and pale.
<
Half a month ago he looked better, now he
aged a lot.
Dad steps inside, I block him.
Mom’s home, she doesn’t want to see him.
Dad says, “Can’t I come in?”
I ask, “Do you think?”
“Say what you need to say.”
Dad is quiet, then asks, “Can you let Mike and
Bethany go?”
“They broke the law, the cops arrested them,
don’t ask me.”
“But you exposed them,” Dad says.
“So what?” I’ll take responsibility, I did
nothing wrong.
Bethany messed with a classmate who was
smarter than her, then she had Mike hire guys
to kidnap her.
Mike knew about Bethany, he felt bad, so he
let her do whatever she wanted.
Dad sees I’m being a jerk, raises his hand to
hit me.
Mom comes out, slaps him first, says, “You
want to go to jail?”
Dad backs down.
Since there’s no chance of that, he asks
something else, “Come back home, I’ll be
good to you.”
I can’t believe how pathetic he is.
I never saw this side of him, I’m seeing a new
side.
The only thing that didn’t change is how
selfish he is.
Mike and Bethany can’t help him, so he’s
giving up on them and coming after us.
We’re not stupid, we won’t let him use us.
“You think we need your love?” I ask,
disgusted.
“You can live in that house all alone. Your
family is avoiding you. It sucks to plan your
life, and no one’s there for you when you
<
need them,” I say, “It feels bad, right?”
I watch his face, he looks angry, I feel good.
I slam the door, I didn’t see the expression on
his face get weird.
