Chapter 4 - 004 ※ Beware the Father Who Finally Decided to Ask the Question He Should Have 20 Years Ago

I met with my father right after I woke up, the remnants of his anger still heavy in the air. His mood was dark, his face drawn tight with the aftermath of an argument with my mother. The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to slice through, yet despite this, my mother was nowhere to be seen. I could only imagine that she was hiding in one of the rooms, stewing in her own anger, refusing to show her face. I didn't expect any different. That's how things always went with them—loud fights followed by long silences, and no one ever talking about what had really been said. I would be leaving soon, but I knew that nothing between my parents would change. They had been stuck in their cycles for years, and it wasn't going to be any different now.

Ellie and Zayd arrived shortly after, both coming to say goodbye to me. But something about their presence felt off—there was an unease in the air, something heavier than just the act of my leaving. It felt like they knew something I didn't, like they could sense the end of something much bigger than just me going away. I didn't know what it was, but it made my stomach twist. Ellie, usually the one to keep things light and pleasant, was quieter than usual. Zayd, ever steady and calm, had a look in his eyes that told me he was wrestling with something. It made me wonder if they had more to say than they were letting on.

I stood there, my feet planted firmly in the moment, wearing my light pink spring dress. It was simple, light, and airy—so different from the heavy mood of the day. The dress, soft against my skin, felt almost like a shield. It was my last day here, my last day with them, and it felt like armor against all the emotions swirling in the room. My white sandals clicked softly on the floor as I shifted my weight from foot to foot, gripping the book of destiny in my hands. It felt heavy, though it was small. The weight of what it represented, what it meant for my future, was almost too much to bear. But I didn't let it show. Not today. Today was the day I had been waiting for, dreaming of for years.

"This day has finally arrived," Dad said, his voice tinged with a seriousness that felt almost foreign coming from him. He looked at me with an expression that seemed a mix of disbelief and resignation, as though he couldn't quite grasp the reality of the moment. And truthfully, neither could I. I could barely believe that the day I had dreamed of was actually here, that it had finally arrived. I had spent so long wishing for it, waiting for it, imagining what it would feel like. But now that it was here, it felt like a dream I wasn't ready to wake up from. The thought of leaving, of finally being free from the shackles of this house, made my heart race with a mix of excitement and fear.

"Did you train well?" Dad asked me suddenly, his eyes searching mine, perhaps looking for any sign of doubt. His question, simple as it seemed, had a weight to it. He was always so focused on that—on whether I had trained enough, pushed myself enough. But I had trained, more than anyone knew, and I was ready. I didn't need him to ask me that now. Not today.

"Did you really wait 20 years to ask me this?" I shot back, my voice sharp, cutting through the tension. The words slipped out before I could stop them, the bitterness in my tone unmistakable. "If you were a good father, you would already know the answer." There, I had said it. I had been holding it in for so long, the resentment that had built up over the years, the disappointment in him. Finally, the words spilled out. It felt almost like a release, as if a weight had been lifted, even if just for a moment. His face flickered with surprise, then with that familiar look of disappointment, but I didn't care. Not anymore. I had been waiting for this moment for so long.

"Everything I did was to see you happy," Dad replied, his voice defensive. It was the same tired excuse, the same broken record he always played when confronted. But I wasn't buying it anymore.

"My ass," I muttered under my breath, the bitterness clear in my words. "You neglected me, just like Mom did. I wish you never had me to begin with." I felt the sting of the words as they left my mouth, but it was the truth. The truth I had been keeping inside for years. He didn't deserve to be protected from it anymore. I had spent too many years silencing myself, trying to please him, trying to be what he wanted. But all it had ever gotten me was more neglect and more hurt.

"But I'm happy now," I continued, my voice steady, "because now, I'll be far away from all of you who treated me like a cow for slaughter." The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but they felt like freedom. Freedom from the years of being seen as nothing more than an obligation, a problem to deal with. His gaze softened for a second, but I didn't care anymore. He could be sad, disappointed, whatever. It didn't matter. I had my own life now, and it was finally mine to live.

"Evie—"

"She isn't wrong, Dad," Ellie interrupted before he could say anything else. Her voice was firm, strong in a way I hadn't expected. I looked at her in surprise, but then again, why should I be surprised? Of course, I wasn't wrong. I had never been wrong.

"I sincerely believe that she must have counted the days until today to say this to you," Ellie continued, her words coming out bluntly but with no hesitation. "Since you, her mother, and the twins ignored her all these twenty years. You, much less than them, but still." The words hung in the air, and I couldn't help but feel a little surprised by the force behind them. Ellie, always so polite and careful around Dad, was finally speaking her truth. She wasn't afraid anymore.

I couldn't stop the bitter laugh that escaped me. And I had counted the days. Every single one of them. I had kept track, in my mind, waiting for the moment when I could finally leave, when I could finally be free from all of them. It was the only thing that had kept me going all these years—the idea of one day escaping this suffocating world they had built for me.

Ellie wasn't done, though. "I myself acknowledge that I was not a good person nor caring with her," she said softly, and I couldn't help but blink in surprise. "Always faithfully following his rules to create her until today. Since you and Arabella were supposed to raise her, you are her parents, I am only the half-sister." I had never expected Ellie to speak so frankly, especially not to Dad. She had always been careful around him, always polite, but now she was laying it all bare. She was speaking the truth, just like I had, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of respect for her.

"But anyway, Evie," she said, her voice softening just a little, "I hope everything works out for you down there. I will be waiting up here with Zayd, the day when you will come back to us with my brother-in-law." Her words struck me in a way I didn't expect. Ellie, who had always been distant, who had never truly shown me much affection, was telling me she cared. And, for the first time, I believed her.

Dad didn't say anything after that. He just stood there, his eyes trained on me, but his silence spoke volumes. I could feel his sadness, but it didn't affect me the way it used to. Not anymore.

"Ellie's right, Evie," Zayd said, his voice steady, calm. "We'll be waiting for you here, so live every day like it was your last one, and try to make that reality better while you are there. You can do everything you want, just stay strong and be yourself."

Zayd's words meant more to me than I could express. He had always been the steady one, the one who supported me without judgment, without expectations. I had never had to fight for his affection or approval. He had always just been there, and that was more than I could say for anyone else in my life.

"Thank you, Zayd," I said softly, my throat tightening. "I will."

I turned to look at my father once more, and the sadness in his eyes was almost too much to bear. But I didn't falter. I couldn't.

"See?" I said, my voice bitter but steady. "That's what you should have said to me if you were a good father."

Ellie and Zayd both looked at me with concern, but I knew they understood. They might not agree with everything I had said, but they knew why I said it. I didn't need their approval. I just needed them to understand.

"Until we meet again," I said, my voice firm now, and I turned to walk through the portal. The future awaited, and I was ready to step into it. Ready to finally be free.