Matt’s POV
I told Emily everything that I discovered. We also talked about what happened in the parking lot of the hospital. I don’t know what happened that night. She just suddenly lashed out at me and when I followed her to her condo, I tried to talk to her.
She was cold so I thought it’s all because I’m not giving her an update about my investigation so I told her everything. But...but after everything she...broke up with me. She...ended the relationship that I’m trying to build with her.
I was angry but I stayed that night and then I tried to spy on my dad again the next morning. It was stupid because I was caught by him.
“You can’t turn your back on the person who raised you, Matt!” He sounded so angry and disappointed.
I gritted my teeth as I looked him in the eyes angrily. He caught me personally and he didn’t allow me to escape.
“Why are you doing this, dad?” I asked, trying to get even a stupid answer from him.
I moved my arm and my eyes immediately landed in the silver thing around my wrist. I was never hit by him when I was a kid. He didn’t even raise his voice on me or on Mason. He didn’t scold me. Even once. So I didn’t expect that he could cuff me like this. Let alone cage me in a dark room like this.
I don’t know where he brought me. I lost my phone when he put me to sleep, but I made sure that there was no trace of evidence on that. I deleted the voice recording after I sent it to Emily and made a copy. I hid the flash drive in Emily’s condo just in case we need it in the future.
“Did you tell anyone about what you heard?”
I gritted my teeth. “How can I tell anyone when you’re restraining me here?”
His eyes sharpened. “How long have you been spying on me?”
“I just heard you yesterday, dad! I don’t even know why you’re doing this! Did you know that I insulted Kelly just because I’m trying to defend you? I was wrong, dad! I was wrong for defending you—”
“I’m doing this for our family, Matt! That woman is trying to ruin us!”
“Because you killed her mother, dad!”
“I didn’t kill her mother,” he said angrily with sharp eyes. “Did you see me killing her?”
I laughed sarcastically and balled my fists. “You didn’t kill her mother because it was the person you hired? What kind of logic was that?”
He pulled himself up, still glaring at me. “You’ll stay here until you decide to stop your stupidity and choose your family over that woman.”
“She’s also a family, dad! Your niece—”
“She’s not, Matt! She’s just an impostor trying to get our family’s richest.”
I laughed again. “Richest? She doesn’t need it, dad. Her father’s company is doing well. Thanks to her good leadership. And can’t you see? The family business is now doing good because of her—”
“SO, YOU’RE SAYING I’M NOT A GOOD LEADER?” His voice boomed in the whole room.
The darkness of the room was already scary and the evilness I can see within him was adding to the creepiness of the place. I feel like...I don’t really know him, my own father.
He rushed to me and shot me with cold and dangerous glares. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Matt. I kept this family intact for a very long time. I spent my life proving myself thinking I’d get what I deserve but I didn’t get any. And that woman...that bitch, showed up from nowhere and stole everything I worked hard on...I won’t let her do this to me, Matt. I won’t.”
I clenched my jaws as I fought his sharp eyes. “So you’re gonna end up becoming evil because of this petty reason?”
“Petty reason? You don’t understand anything, Matt! You don’t understand because your dream was different from mine!”
I shook my head, disappointed. “I don’t really understand and I will never understand, dad. I will never understand why you have to become this evil for something you can earn again.”
He lifted his chin, and balled his fists. I feel like if I wasn’t his son, he would’ve punched me to death now.
“Stay here and think about what you’re losing. I will release you once you realize which side you should take.”
I watched him with sharp eyes as he left me alone in this room. I feel suffocated not because of the place, but because of him.
I can’t believe he was the reason behind the death of Kelly’s mom. He also witnessed her abduction when they’re kids, but he kept his mouth shut just because he’s selfish. He was selfish from the very beginning.
I squeezed my eyes closed and looked down. My cuffed arm is aching. My wrist too. But I can’t feel it because the pain in my heart is overpowering the physical pain.
My father...is a criminal and there’s no way I’d tolerate him. I need to convince him to own up his mistakes and regret it. While he has time to do so. The family he’s trying to keep intact will be ruined completely...if he refuses to pay for his sins. Because I will really report him to the authorities.
I took a deep sigh as Emily’s face crossed my mind.
Damn! I’m in this situation but that woman managed to squeeze herself in my head.