Page 10 of Quick on the Claw

Her father’s face turned an interesting shade of purple. “This is exactly the kind of disrespect I’m talking about!”

“No, this is the kind of sarcasm you get when you barge into someone’s home and insult their life choices,” Tiffany shot back. “If you wanted blind obedience, you should have gotten a golden retriever instead of a daughter.”

“It’s time to grow up and accept your responsibilities. I’ve arranged for you to start at the company next month. Junior executive position with room for quick advancement. You’ll be able to afford a proper apartment and start building a life worthy of your name.”

Tiffany stood, stunned into silence for a moment. The audacity, the sheer presumption of it all, left her reeling. When she finally found her voice, it came out in an outraged whisper. “You had no right to do that.”

“I had every right,” Henry countered. “I’m your father, and I know what’s best for you. This little teaching phase has gone on long enough. It’s time to take your place in the real world.”

Something inside Tiffany snapped. Years of pent-up frustration and resentment came pouring out in a torrent of words. “The real world? You mean your world where nothing matters except money and status? Where success is measured by the size of your bank account and how many people you can look down on?”

Henry’s face flushed with anger. “Watch your tone, young lady. I’ve given you everything?—”

“No,” Tiffany cut him off, her voice shaking with emotion. “You’ve tried to control everything. My career, my life choices, even where I live. But you’ve never once asked me what I want, what makes me happy.”

“Happiness doesn’t pay the bills,” Henry sneered. “You think your little teaching job is fulfilling? Wait until you see what real power feels like, what it’s like to make decisions that affect thousands of lives.”

Tiffany shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “The only lives I care about affecting are my students’. Every time I see one of them understand a difficult concept, or get excited about history, or come to me for advice – that’s real power. That’s real fulfillment.”

For a moment, something flickered in Henry’s eyes – a hint of uncertainty, perhaps even a glimmer of understanding. But it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by cold determination.

“Enough of this nonsense,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “You will accept the position at the company. You will move to a more suitable apartment. And you will start acting like the Whitlock you are. Is that understood?”

Tiffany stared at her father, really seeing him for perhaps the first time. The man before her wasn’t the loving parent she’d always hoped for, the one who would eventually understand and support her choices. He was a stranger, so blinded by his own ambitions and prejudices that he couldn’t see the pain he was causing.

“No,” she said quietly, a sense of calm settling over her. “No, it’s not understood. I won’t do it, Father. I won’t give up my life or my passion to fit into your narrow view of success.”

Henry’s face contorted with rage. “You ungrateful little?—”

“I think you should leave now,” Tiffany interrupted, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. “We clearly have nothing more to say to each other.”

For a long moment, father and daughter stared at each other, the air crackling with tension. Finally, Henry spoke, his voice cold and cutting. “If you persist in this foolishness, don’t expect any support from me. No more family connections, no more financial safety net. You’ll be on your own, Tiffany.”

Tiffany lifted her chin, meeting his gaze squarely. “I already am.”

Without another word, Henry turned and stalked out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him. The sound echoed through the small space, leaving a ringing silence in its wake.

Tiffany stood frozen for several heartbeats, scarcely able to believe what had just happened. Then, like a puppet with its strings cut, she collapsed onto her couch, burying her face in her hands as sobs racked her body.

She cried for the little girl who had always sought her father’s approval, for the woman she’d become despite his constant criticism, and for the relationship that might never be mended. But beneath the pain and sorrow, a small spark of relief flickered to life. For the first time in her adult life, Tiffany was truly free from the weight of her father’s expectations.

As her tears subsided, Tiffany’s phone buzzed with a text notification. Wiping her eyes, she reached for the device, expecting another cutting message from her father. Instead, she saw a name that made her heart sink even further: Jake, her colleague from school.

Frowning, she opened the message:

“Hey Tiff, heard about the promotion. Just wanted to say I’m sorry. We all know you deserved it more than Karen. Politics, am I right? Drinks soon to commiserate?”

Tiffany stared at the screen, uncomprehending. Promotion? What promotion? With trembling fingers, she dialed Jake’s number.

“Tiff! Hey, how are you holding up?” Jake’s voice was filled with sympathy.

“Jake, what promotion are you talking about?” Tiffany asked, a sense of dread growing in the pit of her stomach.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Oh shit, you didn’t know? I thought... crap, I’m sorry, Tiff. I figured they would have told you by now.”

“Told me what?” Tiffany pressed, her grip on the phone tightening.

Jake sighed heavily. “Karen got the department head position. You know, the one you’ve been working toward for the past two years?”

---