Chapter 3
It was late, but Richard and Sophie were still acting out their little "father-daughter" show in the living room.
The soundproofing in my room was awful, so every little bit of their fake concern and Sophie's syrupy responses cut into my ears like knives.
They really treated me like I was invisible. Fine, at least then I could see things for what they were.
I sat at my desk, the scratch of my pen on paper filling the silence.
I started jotting down my "independence plan."
Income: Besides student loans, I needed a steady part-time job. No way was I taking that tutoring job at Cole's place. I needed money that was completely mine, something they couldn't control.
Housing: Dorms were my first choice, but if things went wrong, I needed a backup plan.
Legal advice: I needed to find out what I could keep and what I would lose if I cut ties with my family after turning eighteen.
Connections: I needed at least one or two people I could really trust—friends or teachers—to list as emergency contacts.
Evidence: I needed to collect proof of Richard's blatant favoritism and Sophie's manipulative behavior, in case I ever needed it.
I wasn't some saint, and I wasn't a pushover. I wanted to live like a real person.
*****
Early the next morning, Grace came in with breakfast.
"Autumn, don't be mad at your dad. He's only doing it for your own good," she said, setting a bowl of oatmeal in front of me.
There it was again.
I didn't look at her. I kept my head down and ate my oatmeal.
"Sophie never had to struggle growing up, so your dad wants to protect her. But you've always been so mature, always working hard. Your dad knows you can handle things on your own," she said softly, trying to smooth things over.
Mature? Handle things on my own? So my maturity was his excuse for playing favorites? His excuse for leaving me to fend for myself?
"Mom, let me ask you. If Sophie didn't get into college, would Dad still treat her so well?" I looked up suddenly.
Grace froze, her eyes darting away. "That's... that's impossible. Sophie's way too smart for that."
"If she had nothing going for her, would Dad still call her his 'proudest daughter'?" I pressed.
Grace went silent.
So, she knew the answer, too.
"Mom, Dad doesn't really love Sophie. What he loves is the image of being selfless and the 'good guy' reputation she brought him," I said, enunciating every word.
Grace's face turned pale. "Autumn, don't talk like that. Your dad—"
"What about him? He's a hypocrite," I cut her off.
Grace stared at me in shock, as if seeing me for the first time.
"Mom, I'm tired. I don't want to live in this kind of family anymore," I said, exhaustion weighing on my voice.
Grace's eyes reddened. "Autumn, you're killing me! We're family, and families don't stay angry overnight."
This wasn't anger, however. It was despair that had been building up for years.
"Mom, have you ever thought about why you always tell me to put up with everything, to keep compromising in this family? Is it really for me, or is it for your own peace of mind?" I asked.
I looked at her, a hint of inquiry in my eyes.
Grace's body trembled. She quickly looked away.
"Mom, I'll figure things out myself. You don't have to worry about me," I said, setting down my bowl and standing up.
Grace looked like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she sighed and left my room.
She still chose silence.
I grabbed my phone and logged into a college forum.
There were tons of posts from older students sharing tips about part-time jobs.
I sifted through them and quickly zeroed in on an online translation gig.
The hours were flexible, the pay was decent, and best of all, it wouldn't interfere with my classes. And Richard would never find out about it.
My first step was to get my finances in order.
Next, I needed to ask about student loan options at school.
My heart was pounding.
Every step felt like dancing on the edge of a knife.
But I knew that was my only way out.
I glanced at the acceptance letter on my desk.
That was my ticket to a whole new world.
I told myself that I couldn't afford to fail.