Chapter 9 Behind the mask
Daniel POV
My room was the only place I could actually breathe. I was hunched over my laptop, code flickering across the screen, my earpiece cranked up to the point where the music was just a vibration against my skull. I didn't want to hear anything else.
The door opened without a knock. The scent of jasmine and white tea drifted in before she did. I didn’t turn. I already knew it was my stepmom.
My fingers kept moving across the keys, steady and controlled, as if her presence changed nothing.
"Daniel," she said. Her voice was too soft, too perfect. "Your father is home early. It’s been a long time since we sat down together for a proper family meal, and he’s been talking about this dinner for days. Please, come down. Just for tonight."
She stood there waiting for a response I wasn’t going to give. When I kept staring at the screen, she sighed and quietly left. I stared at the wall for another ten minutes before I finally stood up. I didn't go down because I was hungry; I went down because I was tired of hearing them talk about me behind my back.
When I walked into the dinning room, my father was at the head of the table, pacing with that loud, energetic personality that always made me feel like an outsider.
When he saw me, he clapped his hands with a smile face.
"There he is! The birthday boy!" He walked over and clapped a hand on my shoulder. His grip was tight, too much. "I know your birthday is tomorrow, but I have to fly out to the city for a meeting that I absolutely cannot move. I was so worried I’d miss the big day, so I told the staff to pull out all the stops for tonight. We’re doing this properly!"
I pulled away slightly and sat down. He kept talking, pouring juice, acting like everything was perfectly normal. "I even bought that model kit you wanted. Maybe we can look at it after dinner?"
I looked at the food on the table and felt nothing. "I don't think I am planning to celebrate my birthday with you before," I said, my voice flat. "And I am also not going to be available tomorrow because I have someone important to meet tomorrow. You can go ahead with your meeting like the way you use to do not like you care."
The room went still. My stepmom, the perfect actress, immediately reached over and piled my plate high with the food I despised, her smile fixed and brittle. "Just try a little, Daniel. It’s your favorite."
I pushed the plate away. The clatter of the china was harsh in the quiet room. "I don't want the risotto. And I don't want to play pretend, Dad. I’m not a child again, you don't need to bother yourself about my birthday.
My father’s smile didn't fade, but his eyes went cold. "Daniel, what else did you want me to do to be a good father to you that.”
"Stop," I snapped. I looked straight at my stepmom. "And you, stay out of my room. Don't ever come in there again without my permission. I’m not a kid, and I’m definitely not one of your house pets."
My father stood up. He didn't pace anymore. He looked at me, his jaw set. "That is enough. Apologize to your mom right now."
I stood up, my chair hitting the floor with a loud, final thud. "She is not my mom and she will never be one."
"I said apologize!" he shouted, his face reddening.
I didn't answer. I grabbed my jacket and walked toward the door.
"Daniel! Get back here!" he yelled.
I didn't turn around. I didn't give him the satisfaction of even a glance. I slammed the front door so hard the house shook and walked out into the cold night air. I walked fast, my hands shoved deep in my pockets, my jaw clenched so tight it felt like my teeth would crack. I ended up in a dark, narrow alleyway near the shopping district, just to get away from the lights and the noise.
I walked down the narrow side street, the afternoon sun casting long, orange shadows across the pavement. I was lost in my own thoughts, barely noticing the quiet surroundings, until a low, guttural growl broke the silence. It was sharp and aggressive, the sound of a predator closing in.
My head snapped toward the noise. Near a parked car, a girl was crouched by the curb, busy tying her shoelace, completely oblivious to the mangy stray dog emerging from behind a dumpster just feet away from her. Its teeth were bared, and it was coiled to spring.
"Hey!" I shouted, the sound ripping through the quiet.
I didn't think; I just reacted. I lunged forward, stamping my feet and shouting again to distract the beast. Startled by the sudden intensity and noise, the dog yelped, scrambled back, and bolted into the bushes, disappearing from sight.
The girl jumped, finally realizing how close the threat had been. She stood up quickly, her face pale, clearly intending to turn and thank me. But in her haste, her foot caught on the edge of the curb. She lost her balance, her arms windmilling as she began to tip backward toward the hard, unforgiving concrete.
I was already moving before I realized it. I lunged forward, catching her firmly by the shoulders and pulling her upright just before she hit the ground. For a heartbeat, we were locked in that space, the sudden intake of her breath audible in the silence.
As soon as she was steady, I let go, as if her touch were an electric shock. I immediately took a step backward, putting distance between us. Without saying a single word, I turned my back to her and began walking away, keeping my pace steady and my expression blank.
"Hey! Wait!"
I didn't stop.
"Thank you!" she shouted, her voice echoing down the empty street. "I didn't even catch your name, but thank you!"
I kept walking, hands stuffed deep in my pockets. I didn't turn around, and I didn't offer a reply. I just kept walking until I rounded the corner, safely hidden from her view. Only then, I felt a small, genuine smile tug at the corner of my lips.