Page 54 of My Ruthless Opponent

To the left, there is a woman who seems to be upset with the female caregiver. It is nothing I haven’t seen before.

Many patients who suffer from conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s reside here.

This is one of the best Home Care centers in LA. That is why I sleep peacefully at night knowing that my dad is in good hands. That he is safe here.

“How are you today, Dad?” I cover his hands with mine.

He doesn’t look at me. He never does. But I visualize him answering me and I begin talking. “I am so glad that you’re doing good. You might be thinking about what I am doing here on my weekday, right? Well, I couldn’t spend time with you the other day and I…” I swallow a lump in my throat, feeling awfully vulnerable.

My voice cracks as I look up at his unresponsive body language. “I missed you, Dad.”

I am not supposed to get emotional in front of him.

Usually, I try to be optimistic around him. But today I can’t help but feel disappointed at my circumstances.

The painful experiences in my life taught me to never let anyone push me around. And that’s what I did yesterday.

I threw Raleigh out of my house because he disrespected me.

I stood by my decision until the moment I took Dad’s hands in mine.

I can’t believe his once sturdy and warm hands that had the ability to make me feel safe are now limp and fragile.

I forgot that Dad relies on me completely.

Humiliation and rage pierced my insides when Raleigh insulted me.

The decision of not co-operating with Raleigh was made by a confident woman who didn’t take shit from anyone. But today, a helpless daughter is second-guessing it.

I was sleep-deprived when I arrived at work. Nothing felt right today.

I was exhausted from being strong all the time.

Every hour I spent in the office felt like a battle. A war where I was losing. So, I drove here to see him on my lunch break.

Seeing him like this is making the anxiety even worse.

Remember what the doctor advised, Hannah.

Dr. Riaz warned not to be upset in front of him. It might affect his already critical mental condition.

Breathing deeply through my nose, I launch into a story. To distract me from the need to cry. “You won’t believe what happened today. Brielle confessed having a teeny tiny crush on Nina.” I chuckle as I remember Brielle blushing when she saw Nina across the room. “Nina is Raleigh’s team member. That makes her our rival. But I urged her to pursue Nina. She was adamant that Nina was way out of her league but I gave her a ten-minute lecture on how amazing she is. And guess what? She finally agreed to talk to her.”

I look at his side profile, his face turned to the window.

I pick up a slice of apple and bring it to his lips. He opens his mouth and takes a tiny bite.

I keep talking and feeding him until the plate is empty.

My stomach lets out a grumble. Ignoring it, I get up and bring him a glass of water.

After helping him with the drink, I dab lightly at the corner of his mouth.

“Do you remember how I used toloveand beg for a banana shake every day when I was five years old?” He used to stock the pantry with it and made sure we never run out of it. “You used to dab my milkie mustache just like this.”

I remember him reaching up and ruffling my hair with a smile and saying ‘That’s my princess’ every time I used to finish the shake.

My eyes well up. I resume my position in front of his wheelchair again.

---