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“Dad—” I try again, but he ignores me.
“I’m going to fight this. This nightmare has to end. He can take everything from me, including the business, but he cannot take you.”
“Dad!”
But he has already cut the connection.
Disturbed and angry, I head back to the bathroom. As I set the phone down on the vanity to brush my teeth, another call comes in.
My heart lurches as I imagine it’s my father calling again to carry on his tirade, but it’s Leila, and to my surprise, I’m reluctant to speak to her as well, so I just stand there frozen and let my phone ring until it disconnects. With a sigh, I pick up my toothbrush, but Leila being Leila, doesn’t relent and my phone goes again. She’s not going to stop until I answer. I answer the video call.
Her face is full of concern and worry.
“You okay?” she asks.
“I’m fine,” I say as I start brushing my teeth aggressively.
“Are you sure,” she asks.
“I’m fine,” I reply after spitting into the sink. “I’m fine; everything’s okay. It’s just my dad spiraling.”
“Want me to go check on him?”
“Yes,” I reply, and she nods. “Alright, I’ll drop by a little later.”
“Thank you,” I say, giving her a weak smile.
“How... how are you holding up? Remember, we prepared for this. Don’t hesitate to let me know the moment you want to leave, and I won’t let you down. I’ll go to the police if I have to. You’ll be fine.”
“I’m fine,” I say and continue brushing my teeth. I don’t know if I can endure the shame of not following my own plan from the previous night.
“That’s a gorgeous bathrobe,” she says conversationally. “It looks like it costs a fortune.”
“It probably does,” I mutter.
“You’re extremely cranky.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologize. “I hate it when Dad and I argue. I just?—”
“I think we need to get you out of there,” she says, her tone turning serious. “Was it... did he try to touch you last night? Was it that bad? Because if it was that bad, you can’t do this. You can’t endure this. Nothing in this world is worth the psychological damage it will cause you.”
“It wasn’t bad,” I say quickly.
“Oh,” she says, fighting to control her smile.
“It’s not funny,” I say, and she lets out a laugh that echoes across the room.
“Actually, it is,” she manages to say.
I turn away from the sink and start walking back to the bedroom.
“Wow!” she gasps.
“What?” I ask.
“Just taking in the space you’re in. I’m not even going to ask for another close-up, but just for the record, it’s breathtaking. Take some pictures for me, please, so I can use it for inspiration for my own bathroom and bedroom.”
“As if we could ever afford marble bathrooms,” I scoff.