Page 4 of Daddy's Desire

Courtney followed her mother back into the ballroom. Her stomach twisted in disgust when Neil grabbed onto her arm,and it stayed there for the rest of the night. At least she was able to keep from dancing with him again.

Chapter Two

By the time she reached her bedroom, she knew she’d have to run as soon as she could. After she finished getting ready for bed, she packed a few suitcases and hid them under her bed.

Courtney sat at her desk with a pen and paper, trying to figure out what to write to her mother. As much as she wanted to leave without it, she knew her mother would move heaven and earth to find her either way. She just hoped her new friends would be able to hide her until she could figure out what to do next.

She couldn’t get her stomach to settle, and the stress and tension made it hard for her to concentrate.

Dear Mother,

I am sorry to leave without talking to you, but I know you won’t listen to anything I say. I know you’ll be upset, not because you’ll miss me but because your ticket to the high society in the city was taken away. You’ll have to find another way. Maybe you can find a rich man to marry.

I won’t go into everything I’d like to say, but the fact I put up with your diets, studying different languages, and never going outside or having fun was exhausting, and I disliked most of it. You never even let me watch movies. You told me I would get more out of reading boring nonfiction books.

The final straw happened tonight. The fact that you set up an engagement with a man I don’t know and frankly is gross, opened my eyes to the fact that you’ll do anything, even destroy your own daughter, your only living relative, to get what you want.

I can’t get over the fact that you care nothing for me or my happiness. Every year, you’ve become more selfish and obsessed with money, and it affected me the most.

I’m twenty-three years old, and I’ve never been to amovie theater or eaten pizza or an ice cream cone. I don’t have friends or hobbies because you won’t allow it. My whole life revolves around your dream. I feel like you don’t even see me anymore. I’mjust the perfect little model you’re trying to turn me into.

I want you to think back to when you were my age or younger. Was your childhood happy? From what I remember, Grandma, your mother, told me it was a normal middle-class upbringing, and they spoiled you rotten. Since my father died, mine has been boring, stressful, and sometimes painful, all because of you and your dreams.

I can’t do this anymore, so I’m going away. I’ll contact you when I get settled, but otherwise, as far as I’m concerned, you’ll never see me again unless you change. Just think, someday I’ll have children, and you’ll never be able to see them. You’ll grow old and alone.

Please just let me go without trying to find me. I’ll be fine.

I really hope you are hearing me now.

Courtney

Courtney read the letter again. There was so much more she wanted to say, but the letter was already longer than she intended. She folded the paper and slid it into an envelope, writing “Mother” on the front. She then hid the envelope in a book, turned off the lights, got into bed, and fell asleep instantly.

That night, she dreamed about the things she wanted to do instead of the vast, blank, dark dreams she had before.

The next morning, she dressed in yoga pants and a t-shirt and walked down to the dining room, where her mother had already sat, drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper.

“Good morning, Mother,” Courtney said and sat.

Her mother glanced up at her. “Why is your hair downlike that? It’s unbecoming.”

Courtney almost rolled her eyes. “I’ll put it up after breakfast.”

Courtney turned toward the kitchen door, where one of their maids walked out with her breakfast. She never got to decide what she ate. Her mother had the whole day planned, from the food to the activities.

“Thank you, Mary,” Courtney said.

“You’re welcome, Miss.”

Courtney heard her mother sigh and knew it was because Courtney treated the staff like people instead of robots as her mother did.

She looked down at her food. One half of a grapefruit, which she disliked, and a piece of wheat toast. She was able to have orange juice, which she loved, but she never let it show.

Diana slid a piece of paper over to her. “This is your schedule for today.”

Courtney glanced at it. Diana had her exercise in the morning after breakfast, showered, and dressed, and read and practice a language in the afternoon. Her brows snapped together when she read the bottom of the list.

“What does this mean, Mother?”

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