Page 120 of Beautiful Deception

“You tried to kill him first!”

He scoffs. “Why are you so naïve? Why couldn’t I be blessed with a daughter who has both beauty and brains? Instead, you only got your mother’s looks. There’s nothing in your brain.”

“I worked hard for us. For you! You did nothing these past couple months while I worked for hours every day cooking and cleaning until my back and feet hurt. I did all of that for you! So I wouldn’t find you dead in a gutter somewhere.”

“I never asked you to do that!”

“Yes, you did,” I say in a much softer voice. All the fight is leaving me. Fighting is something I’ve never done. Life was always easier to go along with if I just didn’t… fight. If I just gave in to what my dad wanted. I’ve never stood up to him before.

“You did,” I continue. “You wanted me to get a job. You had no problems with me paying for you to stay here for weeks. You never got a job yourself.”

“You never gave me any of your money. You could have given me more.”

“So you could… what? Waste it all on gambling?”

He looks away from me. “Inessa… I’m sorry. I just miss your mother.” Tears bubble up and spill down his face while his shoulders shake. “I’m just sorry.”

This is how my dad gets me. Every time. Without fault. I forgive him because he’s too pathetic to hate.

And now he’s all I got.

I sidle up next to him. “Dad? Come here.” I wrap my arms around him and he holds be close.

We sit on the floor for a long time before he lets me go.

“We don’t have any money now,” he says. “Because of you.”

I’m not prepared for his hand.

He hits me across the face and I sprawl onto the floor, all the wind knocked out of me. He stands up and kicks me in the stomach. “You are not your mother. You will never be her. You made a fool out of me, Inessa. You married the man who tried to kill me. And now you don’t even have him.” He kicks me once more before sitting down onto the bed. “I’m ashamed.”

He’s ashamed? I’m ashamed to have ever loved him. I cough from the pain in my side. My face stings from his punch.

I need the money I earned from Viktor. If I’m going to have a fresh start, I need it now.

I push myself to my feet and hurry from the motel room. Dad doesn’t stop me. With no car to drive me home, I have no choice but to walk until I can get onto the subway. Fortunately, I have a pass I bought when I first got paid from Viktor, and have it on me.

I manage to make it to Viktor’s house after walking for an hour. I don’t know what’s waiting for me on the other side.

I knock on the door and Mrs. Green opens it. “Inessa? Child.” She pulls me into a hug. “What happened? Look at you. You look terrible. Did someone hurt you?” She tries touching my cheek but it stings too much. I wince.

“I need the money I worked for. It’s under my bed. Undermybed. Not Viktor’s.”

“I… Should I tell him you’re here? He’ll want to know I’m giving you money.”

“It’s the money I worked for. I’m owed it. I saved it. If you don’t move out of my way, Mrs. Green, I’ll go in there myself and get it. Unless you want to get it for me. It’s nine thousand dollars. All in cash. There better not be a dollar missing.”

“Honey, what happened to you? Who did this to you?”

My body is bent over slightly from the pain my father caused to my ribs. “Just get me the money.”

“I think it’s better that I talk to Mr. Smirnov first.” She turns away from me and I take my chance.

I dart inside and run past her, ignoring her as she calls out for me. I find my money under my bed – all of it, thankfully – and run back into the hallway.

I stop when I see Viktor.

“I told you not to come back here,” he growls. For the first time in a long time, I’m scared of Viktor. He looks like the devil himself, not the man I fell in love with.

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