Please don't do this

FIFTY-NINE

LEONE

Father looked at me in shock, not quite believing my words. I glared at him with all the anger I could muster. This had to be a cruel joke because he had no right to dictate who he wanted me to end up with. This was 2023 for crying out loud and not the bloody 2000s. I couldn’t understand why he was doing this to me.

What would he gain if he were to ruin my life like he did with mom? When would it ever be enough for this man? When would he realise that it was not right to hurt his family this way? Was it too much to ask for him to treat his family with a bit of respect? Would it fucking kill him?

“I would like to pretend that you didn’t just tell me that,” Dad roared.

I pointed a finger to his face, my rage bubbling to the surface in torrents. I was beyond mad with what was happening, and felt it in every cell of my body. “There is no need for you to pretend, dad. You can’t do as you please with me,” I snapped.

He slapped my finger aside. “Stay in your limit, Leone. Don’t forget that I’m your father,” he snapped.

I stepped closer to him, and he pulled back in shock. It was obvious that he wasn’t expecting me to react this way, but it wasn’t as though I was in my right mind too. I was so annoyed with everything, and I felt like I was sinking into an abyss, but somehow, I kept afloat. This was not a situation that I wanted to be in at all, but I couldn’t help it.

I was so annoyed. I was bitter, and wanted to wreak havoc. All my life I had done all this man said without fighting for myself, but just this time, I didn’t want to struggle. I wanted to have the hope to make an impact. I wanted to be able to choose the woman that I loved. Was that too much to ask? Father’s red face proved it was.

He didn’t understand me, and he never tried to either. I have never really felt so much hate as this. Sometimes, he made me puke. How could he do this to his son? Just how?

“What are you trying to do, eh?” He snapped.

“You don’t want to know what I would do if you don’t stop this nonsense. You don’t know what I would do if you keep hurting me. You might enjoy it now, but let me tell you one thing. If you don’t stop this nonsense talk about giving me someone I don’t love to marry, you would hate me more than you’ve done already for the rest of your life.

Father placed a palm on his chest. “Is that a threat?” He asked stiffly.

I smirked. “You can take it however you wish, I’ve said what I said,” I said tersely, as I slowly walked away from him.

“Look, if you don’t obey me, I would cut off your debit, and everything. I still own you in all of its totality, so don’t even try to be smart. Oh, you’re not smart, but a fool. You can’t possibly see that this is an opportunity of a lifetime. You can’t see anything other than your own vanity. It’s such a shame that you’re stuck in your cold world,” father screamed at me.

I turned back, watching his face go beat-red. I was so scared about so many things, and even more scared about what was actually going on right now. Nothing was making a leak of sense, but my temper was going high.

I couldn’t afford to lose Lynn. I had suffered so much to get her back to me, and it wouldn’t all go to ruins now. I wouldn’t let it. I would have to do all I can to make sure that there would be a moment of great reprieve.

I moved closer to go even more than was strictly necessary, ad watched as his veins seemed to pop up in rage. He was obviously enraged because of me, and I didn’t care in the least. If there was anything, it made me annoyed that he was angry.

“I don’t care what you think father, but this time, you can’t simply have your way like you always do. You can do anything to me, I have never said otherwise, but this time, you can’t choose who I want to spend the rest of my life with. I would not let you dictate to me, and ruin my whole life,” I screamed in his face.

“You…”

“What is wrong with both?” Racquez cried as she placed her hands between us like it would help to bring the problem down a notch.

“Go to your room,” father said to her.

I laughed without humour. “Why should she? You didn’t exactly ask for my opinion when you decided to marry her, right? You did as you pleased, not caring about my feelings. To you, love at his age was everything, and we could all go to hell.” I taunted.

“You fucking bastard,” dad cursed as he tried to get a hold of shirt.

I shoved his hands away harshly while I could hear Racquez plead for us to calm down, and I should try to respect father. It made me more angry to know whose still wanted to play the ideal step-mother when my mother was fucking alive and breathing.

I glared at father. “Your slut wants you to behave maturely,” I said and the next thing was a slap across my cheek.

I saw red then, as I went forward, releasing a hold of my fist. Racquez pushed me back, and I realised that I had been so close to hitting father. This had never happened before, and I was slightly ashamed of my actions.

“Fuck it!” I cursed, as I pulled away from him.

I turned my back around and ran up to my room, not without seeing the look of horror that passed through their gazes. They should all go to hell, it was their fault for loosing cool like that. Inside my room, I sank down on the tiles, ashamed of myself to the core of my being. I slid down the door as I pulled my phone from my pocket.

I had messed things up. I called Lynn’s mom a slut. If I wanted to marry her daughter one day, how was she going to let me with the way I had treated her. No, I had to be more careful.

Ugh!

I hit my head at the back of the door feeling so morose. What do I do now? How would I make things right? How the hell do I prove to Lynn that I didn’t want to betray her? I had already struggled to get her to love me, and we had not gone so far in our relationship. Now, this happens. Will she fight with me at her side, or would she throw me away like thrash?

If she left me to rot, I wasn’t so sure I would be able to handle it. I couldn’t bear it if she left me or walked away from me. She was the most important part of my life, and I cared for her more than I could possibly put into words. I do hope that nothing untoward would take place that would change everything from bad to worse. It would break me more than ever, and make me feel like I was worse than anything else. I had to handle his.

I swiped through my phone, and speed dialled her number continuously, hoping she would pick up, but she didn’t. It got to the voice mail, and I begged her to call me then. I informed her that it was going to be all right, and she didn’t need to give up on what we had before we talked about things. Yet, when I called, there was no response form her.

“Lynn, please don’t do this to me. I know you’re beyond mad at all these, but if you let go away from me at this moment, I don’t know what I would do. I would literally die,” I whispered to the empty room feeling like my emotions where on thin ice.

Once again, I called. She didn’t pick.

Out of frustration, I got up from the door, and walked out of my room, going directly to hers. I rose my fist to pound on it, but stopped myself. That would make things worse. The whole house would wish to know why I was standing here acting like a lunatic. I didn’t wish to make the matter worse without talking to her, so I pulled back slightly as I stared longingly at the door.

After a couple of minutes, I took my own out, and texted her that I was standing at her door. She never responded or came out that night, and I was left more torn than I had being in a long time.