32. Omniscient
Chapter thirty-two
Omniscient
O pening the blinds, Marissa looked over to her parents, who sat on the couch, seeming a bit more depressed than usual. They had every reason to be; their legs were paralyzed, and her older brother was the sole reason for this. But in his defense, they were the ones who did arrange a hit-and-run on their beloved little sister, so Marissa couldn’t fault him much.
She walked over to the kitchen and started preparing breakfast for them. She stirred the tea slowly as she gazed over the cabin they had been in for the last fifteen years. It was in the middle of nowhere, and having to stay hidden from the outside world, she could feel the walls starting to close in on her. The little town a few miles away supplied them with everything they needed, and despite what they’d been through, life was relatively good—
“He’s here again, sweetie,” she heard her mother say, and Marissa came out of her trance as the door opened.
Well, as good as it could be despite a frequent unwanted visitor.
In walked Michael Donovan, the father of her daughter, who was over a thousand miles away. Michael smiled as he placed the groceries on the ground, and Marissa crossed her arms.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked him, and he chuckled.
“I bring you groceries, and you’re asking why I’m here? I’m beginning to think I’m a bit unwanted at the moment.”
She scowled. “That’s because you are unwanted. You don’t live here, and I don’t need your help.”
He shrugged. “You kept my daughter a secret from me for almost twenty years. I think I can get a free pass to come and go as I please.” She kept quiet for a moment, and Michael chuckled. “Ever since I saw you a few weeks ago... I’ve been doing some thinking. You and your parents are obviously in a bit of a shithole, and our daughter is wiping her ass with hundred-dollar bills. You have to hold some resentment towards your sister for literally living the life you’ve always dreamed of?” he asked.
Marissa rolled her eyes. “At this point, I’ve lost the will to care. She’s won everything… so trying to explain how much I hate her will only seem repetitive.”
“Then, if you don’t care… let’s use that to our advantage.”
“What are you saying?” she asked him, and he shrugged.
“Let me meet Delilah... We’ll talk, and after a few interactions, we may or may not end up in a position where Killian will most definitely pay to see his precious ‘daughter’ not die at the hands of her biological father. Then… we’ll have enough money to do anything and everything we want.”
Without even considering his proposal, Marissa shook her head. From dealing with him out of the blue to listening to his constant attacks on her life that was nowhere near as good as her sister’s, she’d stopped and had little reason to consider his crazy proposition genuinely.
“I don’t like it.” She spoke quickly, and he laughed.
“Who are you afraid of... Brielle?”
“No, but I am most definitely afraid of my brother.”
Michael nodded. “Yeah, Eugene is crazy, but nothing a few bullets can handle.” Walking back to the door, he said, “Think about it. We’ll talk soon.”
She watched silently as he closed the door behind him, and she sat in the living room with her parents, who were also listening in on the conversation.
None of them said anything, and it was probably for the best. She contemplated whether or not she should have considered Michael’s outlandish offer. Still, the fear of Eugene interfering with their lives once again made her dismiss the idea entirely as it, in contrast, formed a sense of dread in her, as she could potentially run into the man who made her life a living hell.