Bad Dad

Hillary's POV

I walked out sweating. The little lump in my throat had spread out and I couldn't hide my emotions anymore. I began crying while I walked down the street.

“What is wrong with you Hillary? Why do you have to mess things up? Always.” I cleaned my tears. Why do bad things always happen to me? And that motherfucker? He really is enjoying the fact that I'll be jobless.

I was almost home when some men circled me. Thugs? Maybe. I just wanted to pretend like I'm not seeing them. I tried to walk away and one grabbed my hands.

“Hey.” His voice was rasped and the smell of cigarettes oozed from his mouth.

“What do you want?” I struggled to break free. I didn't want any sort of harass because I don't want to meet Marilyn Monroe at this tender age.

“Isn't this Richard's daughter?” He turned to his crew and I broke free from his grasp walking away.

“Hey, your father is in jail.”

I stopped. Turned slowly. “ What are you talking about?”

“Richard stabbed one of my men. After he tried to sell you off the other week. You remember?”

My nerves rose and my body tensed. My fingers ran aggressively through my hair.

“ Why would….he ?” My voice had already broken down. True, my father did try to sell me off. But they let me go and that's when I had to live with Bridget because in basic words, he was never a father to me. So I didn't occupy my mind with his existence.

“ If you think I'm lying, we could take you there.”

“ And why should I trust you?” My soft comeback was fierce.

They all burst into laughter. “Look here princess.” He shoved his phone to my face and I saw my Dad sitting in the jail room with a detective and policeman.

“Oh Dad.” I sobbed. What was this man's deal anyways? “Take me there. Please.”

“Hope on my bike.”

I hesitated. Every of his crew had a bike. They looked more of hoodlums and trouble makers but yet, I could still see the mercy and pity they showed me.

I climbed his bike after he kicked the engine. After riding out of the outskirts of town, we had finally arrived at this police station. I got down and was a bit scared. What's going to happen to my father? Would he be okay? I thought and then the man escorted me in.

“There's Richard.”

I saw my Dad. Torn clothes, head tilted adjacent and he was in handcuffs. He was just sitted on a chair.

“Thank you.” I bow to the man.

“Remember Hillary, your father is more dangerous than you think.” With that he walked away leaving me in fear.

“Excuse me sir, I'm here to see my Father.” I talked to an officer.

“This man?” He nudged my dad's neck with a stick and he looked up. Bruises, carved all over his face.

“Hillary?” He started breathing heavily.

“This man is your Father?” The police asked.

“Yes.” I started to feel ashamed.

“This isn't the first time he's coming here. We're going to have to lock him up here. For attempting murder and also he was involved in drug smuggling.”

My heart fell and the police sat down.

“Dad , what have you done this time?” I groaned, blinking away my tears.

“I …, I did it for us okay.” He cried, acting so dramatic.

“Us?”

“You know we don't have anywhere to go. I just needed to steal from my friends so we can have a comfortable life.” He wailed over-dramatically. Gesturing with his cuffed hands.

“You did this for us?” I scoffed. Angry.

“Yes.” He whispers.

“You've never done anything for us okay. All you think about is yourself.”

“ Stop!” He barked and I flinched. His intense anger was suddenly replaced with an innocent face.

“I had to stab him because he already caught me while I was about to run away with the money. If only I had killed him on time, but unfortunately, my friends came in and stopped me.” He gritted his teeth and I paused, Gobsmacked.

“Oh my God, Dad, you're a killer.” I whispered.

“Don't!!” His voice rose. “I'm doing this for us. I love you okay?”

“Why did you have to take extreme violence. What if he died? He's a human being like you. He has a family.”

“You have to find money okay? You have to get me out of here. Do something. Find a lawyer.”

“That's sheer impossibility. Do you know how much?” I questioned rhetorically.

“Well, do something. Please, my child. Do you wanna see your own father rot in jail? You know I didn't mean to. I just wanted us to have a good life. I didn't mean it. I'm the world's lamest father. Besides, you weren't doing anything about our situation.”

He started shedding tears. Real or fake? I don't know. He always had his way of gaslighting me and I fell for it.

“Please. Help your father.

“ Dad, what you did was wrong and you're facing the consequences.”

He raised his head slowly. All signs of sadness have disappeared.

“You don't wanna help?”

My heart was racing. I haven't concluded yet. No matter how hard I tried to hate him, he was still my Father.

“You stupid, motherfucker.!!”

My eyes. This man aimed for my eyes. I saw stars before landing heavily on the floor. I couldn't handle the pain. I already burst into tears. The rest of the officers rushed to the scenario but my Dad wouldn't stop.

“You worthless pig from the pit of hell.” He pounced on me. Threw blows at me effortlessly despite his hands being cuffed.

“ You are a disgrace!”

The officers had already thrown and hauled him off of me. His head was pushed to the floor and he could struggle no more till they had to drag him away.

“Are you okay?” Two officers held me and my body was too weak to align.

“I'll get you. You'll see. You fool. You are a disgrace. Just like your dead Mother.”

That was the last thing he said before his voice died off. I guess he was taken into another cell.

‘just like your dead mother.’ The words echoed in my head. My tears were hot and running down without permission. My head is banging. My eyes. Oh my eyes. I could only see with one. I managed to touch the left eye. It was swollen. My nose was bleeding too. My whole body couldn't coperate to standing up.

“Someone get medics!”