“Welcome to my humble abode. Don’t you like the view?”
My father’s cheerful voice cut through my thoughts. Again. He kept interrupting my moping with his unnecessary small talk and fake enthusiasm. Can’t he see I’m still reeling from the pain he’s caused?
I forced a glance around the luxurious penthouse apartment, trying to appear unimpressed. To be honest, it was quite breathtaking, but I wouldn’t say it.
“It’s nice, Father,” I said flatly, my voice devoid of enthusiasm.
My father’s smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
“I’m glad you like it. You’ll be comfortable-”
“Cut the small talk, I wasn’t done talking.” I spat, cutting him off. I chuckled, still glancing around. “It’s just that it’s missing something.”
My father, sensing my fake enthusiasm, leaned close with a smile. “What do you think is missing?”
A mischievous grin spread across my face as I replied, “My happiness.”
My father’s smile froze, his eyes widening, caught off guard by my true intention.
“Sarah, come on,” he said, his voice tinged with frustration.
But I just shrugged, my grin still plastered on my face. Is he complaining? He shouldn’t, because he hasn’t seen anything yet.
I chuckled, rolling my eyes. “You took away the one thing that made me happy, Father.”
My father’s expression turned stern. “Xavier was not good for you, Sarah. You’ll see that in time,” he said, and I laughed, a bitter sound.
“You have no idea what’s good for me. You never have.”
My father sighed, rubbing his temples. “We’ll talk about this later, Sarah. You’re tired.”
But I wasn’t tired. I was furious.
“I’ll never forgive you for this, Father,” I spat.
My father’s eyes locked onto mine, filled with frustration. “Sarah, please… How many times do you have to tell me that today?”
“Oh, were you counting? Because I didn’t count,” I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
My father’s eyes narrowed.
“Sarah, stop being dramatic. You’re acting like a child.”
I stood up, my anger boiling over.
“I’m acting like a child? You’re the one who’s treating me like a prisoner, taking away my freedom, my happiness, my everything,” I said, and added with a fake smile, “Oh yeah, I am a child; after all, my father is still making decisions for me.”
My father’s face reddened.
“That’s enough, Sarah. You’ll do as I say.”
I laughed, a cold, hard sound.
“You really think I’ll obey you after what you’ve done? You’re delusional, Father.” I dragged out every word to provoke him because that’s what I planned on doing until he changed his mind since reasoning with him wouldn’t work.
My father’s expression faltered, and for a moment, I saw a glimmer of uncertainty.
“Sarah, please understand…”
But I cut him off.
“No, Father. You understand. You’ve ruined my life, and I’ll make sure you regret it.” I said, nodding my head, my smile still intact.
With that, I turned and stormed out of the room, leaving my father stunned and speechless.
——–
TWO DAYS LATER
I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing out at the breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower.
“It’s beautiful,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
But my father’s attempt at small talk only served to remind me of what I’d left behind.
Xavier’s smile, his laughter, his eyes.
I felt a pang of longing, my heart aching with every passing moment.
“Father, can I go to my room now?” I asked, desperate to escape his forced cheerfulness. He had called me out of my room to talk; now I regretted obeying him.
My father’s expression turned concerned.
“Sarah, we need to talk…”
I shook my head, cutting him off. “Oh, if it’s about what I think it is, then forget it.” I clipped, my eyes still fixed on the window.
“Sarah…” he began, but I interrupted him again.
“Later, Father. Please.”
“SARAH!” he yelled in anger, and I immediately spun around, my eyes locking onto his.
“What, Father? You want to yell at me? Go ahead. You’ve already taken everything from me.”
My father’s face reddened, his chest heaving.
“You’re being unreasonable, Sarah. You need to understand…”
“I understand perfectly,” I cut in, my voice cold. “You’re trying to control my life. But it won’t work.”
My father’s expression softened, his voice cracking.
“Sarah, please… I’m doing this for your own good.”
I laughed. Yeah, fake laughter is now my thing.
“My own good?” I asked skeptically. “You have no idea what’s good for me.”
My father’s stern expression cracked, revealing a glimmer of uncertainty, and I rolled my eyes at it.
“Sarah, go out, explore Paris. Find a guy,” he said, his voice soft, but it sounded like a command, a thinly veiled attempt to distract me from the pain he’d caused.
“Are you kidding me?” I snapped, incredulous.
“Find a guy?” I repeated, my voice laced with disdain. “You think a random guy will replace Xavier?”
My father’s expression hardened. “Xavier is not good for you, Sarah. You need to move on.”
I scoffed. “You have no idea what’s good for me. You never have.”
My father sighed. “Sarah, please. Just try to move forward.”
I shook my head. “You’re unbelievable. You tear my life apart, and now you want me to ‘move on’?”
My father’s eyes flashed with frustration. “Sarah, stop being dramatic.”
But I wouldn’t back down. “This isn’t drama, Father. This is my life you’re ruining.”
The tension between us crackled, and I spat with defiance, “I’ll never forgive you. Yeah, I said that again. Deal with it.”
My father sighed, his shoulders sagging.
“Fine. Go to your room. But we’re not done discussing this.”
I turned and walked away, leaving him frustrated. The sound of my father’s sigh and the creak of his chair echoed through the hallway as I distanced myself from the tension-filled conversation.
As I entered my room, I slammed the door shut, reveling in the sudden silence. Finally alone, I collapsed onto the bed, my body surrendering to the exhaustion that had been building up. Tears streamed down my face, a mixture of sadness, anger, and frustration.
Xavier’s absence felt like an open wound, a constant ache that refused to subside. I missed his smile, his laughter, his gentle touch. I missed everything about him.
I knew I had to find a way back to him. But how? My father’s grip on my life seemed impenetrable. He had taken away my freedom, my happiness, and my love.
Just as my thoughts began to jumble up in despair, I heard the doorbell ring. Usually, I wouldn’t be bothered, but a voice rang through, piquing my interest.