Page 80 of Inevitable

Pulling up in my parents' driveway, I shoved all my turmoil into an iron box and buried it six feet under. I had to steel myself mentally and emotionally to face my bastard father, or I wouldn't be useful for shit. I realized that stomping up to his door to confront him mere hours after his call was the most batshit crazy idea, but I had no other options. Well, none that had presented themselves to me.

Reining in the fury threatening to overtake me, I strode up to the door and rapped on it repeatedly. When no answer came after thirty seconds, I slammed my hand on it even harder. “DAD! Open up, you son of a bitch!”

Just as my hand was coming down for a third strike, the door whipped open and I nearly fell backwards down the steps. I briefly wondered if I had a mental break after all the shit I had gone through that morning because my dad wasn't the one gawking at me from the threshold.

“Mom?…” I choked out, my lungs failing to function at the sight before me.What the ever-loving fuck?

“Bash! Sweetheart, what are you doing here?” My mom asked me, her hand clutching at her chest in a familiar tick I recognized when she was nervous.

Instead of answering, I flew into her arms and squeezed her tight, needing to reassure myself that she was real, that she was actually standing before me safe and sound. “Mom? Why are you here? Oh my God, I'm so glad you're okay!” I cried, the strain of everything hittingme at once in a torrent of confusion and relief.

“Honey, how did you find out? I didn't think your father would tell you,” Mom stuttered out, her hold on me never loosening. I pulled away from her, still gripping her shoulders tight and checking her over. I noticed the dark circles under her eyes and her unkempt hair. Her eyes were glassy and clear. She looked completely drained, but she looked lucid.

“What are you talking about? Dad called me this morning and told me he had you committed to a psych center. He found out…something he wasn't meant to, and he said he locked you away. He had threatened it for so long. I thought he had actually done it! How are you here right now? What is going on?” My words ran together in a blur of emotions.

“Wait, slow down. Take a breath. What do you mean he said had me committed? And what is this about a threat?” Mom's eyes were wide, reflecting back the shocked bewilderment in my own.

“He…he said…” I tried to force the words out, but I was so overwhelmed, I couldn't think straight. I let out a frustrated huff of air, running my hands over my face and into my hair. I took a deep breath and led her over to the dining table. I figured I should start at the beginning.

I told my mom everything about dad's manipulations involving Ainsley and his threats to keep us together. I told her about Micah and how I had realized that I was falling in love with him. I told her about dad's extended warnings if I were to throw Ainsley overboard to be with him, and how I had broken Micah's heart time and time again just to keep her safe. I told her how I couldn't seem to let him go, and how happy we had been the last few months. I finally got to the shitstormthat had hit this morning as a result of dad's interference and my own raving stupidity. By the time I was done, tears were streaming down my face and I was emotionally exhausted.

Mom had sat immobile and gaping at me as I shared the whole sordid chain of events leading up to my surprise appearance at their door. The second the last word left my mouth, mom grabbed the crystal vase off the table and flung it at the opposite wall, sending shards of glass and lilies flying every direction. I jumped in my seat, not expecting her outburst.

“Mom! What the—”

“That evil, selfish bastard! How fucking dare he!” mom screamed, her small frame almost burning a hole in the wood floor as she paced back and forth agitatedly.Ah…at least now I know where I get it from…

“Mom, what is going on?” I asked firmly, needing some answers before I lost my damn mind. She turned to me, her face a mask of barely contained hatred and anger.

“Your father lied to you. Obviously you figured that out already because I'm here, but it was more than that. He's been lying to you and using you for months, ever since he introduced you to that girl and her family.”

“How was he—”

“He was having an affair with Mrs. Whitten!” mom snapped, but I knew her ire wasn't directed at me. My brain went offline in an effort to reboot because what she said hadn't quite computed right.

“He…affair…Mrs. Whitten? Ainsley's mom?” I stammered, blinking rapidly as I tried to keep up.

“Yes, Mrs. Whitten. I threw him out yesterday when I found out. She's the reason your father discovered you were with Micah, honey. I had a gut feeling that something was going on. He had those people over here at least twice a month, if not more, and he always…” she took a breath to steady herself as she got more worked up. “I heard the phone ring yesterday and I picked up the line. I don't know what made me stay on after she asked for him, but I almost wish I hadn't.” Mom looked sick to her stomach, and part of me wanted to spare her from recalling the details, but I had to know.

“Mom, what did they say?” I urged gently.

“She told your father that her family saw you and Micah in the park. She said you were being affectionate and…some other despicable things not worth repeating. She told him that her daughter confirmed that you ended things back before Christmas, and that you had threatened to expose something private of hers if she told. Your father at first didn't seem too concerned, promising her that he'd get you back under control and her husband would have nothing to worry about. Then he…he promised her that he'd do anything for her and once Mr. Whitten had paid to fund his campaign, he'd be sure to help her divorce him so they could be together,” she spat out the last words like they were toxic.

Anger and loathing stirred in my blood, pushing me to limits I'd soon cross. Apparently, there was no end to the depths that piece of shit would lower himself to.

“But then why would he want me to marry Ainsley if he was…with her mother? Wouldn't that make them related sort of? Where is dad now anyway?” I asked, feeling like I was slowly being given only the edges of a puzzle without any idea of what the final image looked like.

“It's obvious your father doesn't give a damn about things likemorals or limits if he gets what he wants,” she fumed. “You marrying Ainsley would've tied him to Whitten, and that rotund prick agreed to pour money into his election campaign as soon as they were “family”. That election is all your father cares about. And I threw him out last night after he got off the phone. He couldn't deny it after I had heard everything, and he had the gall to tell me I was overreacting. When I told him I'd call the cops, he left but not before taking my phone, car keys and wallet with him. Anything to keep me stuck here and useless.”

At least that answered the part about not being able to reach her earlier. “Why would he care if you called the cops or not? How did that force him to leave?”

“Oh honey, you know as well as I do that your father is all about his reputation. Even one call to the cops from his wife would smear his precious campaign, and he had other reasons to worry about what I'd say to them, believe me.” Her voice was filled with more venom than I had ever thought her capable of.

“What do you mean?” I nervously asked.

“Your father has been involved in illegal dealings with Mr. Whitten that go beyond just his electoral campaign,” mom continued, her eyes cold. “Things have felt off for months and I've been trying to gather whatever dirt on him I could. When he would be out, I'd sneak into his office and poke around his files, just in case I was right. Turns out, I was. I found all the evidence I need to have your father and the Whittens charged with racketeering and campaign finance fraud. Let's see how he likes a life behind federal bars!”

A part of me was almost glad this happened so she could finally break free of him. But another part of me ached for her and the anguish she was going through. I didn't want this to further erode her mental health, to drag her down past the point of no return. I had already lost Micah. I couldn't lose her to this, too.

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