Chapter 9
Xylina
Isipped my cookie butter caramel iced coffee as my eyes scanned the busy street of the café I was currently sitting outside of.
A couple days had passed since the night in the shower with Yosiah and he had been acting strangely since then.
When I asked if something was wrong, he proclaimed nothing was, but I noticed him leaving in his truck and with his bike a lot more often.
I knew he enjoyed biking, but he normally didn’t go this many times a week, at least I didn’t think he did.
Something else strange happened this morning.
I was in the middle of my typical get ready morning live when a message from my dad came through.
It was the first time I’d gotten any communication from him in over a month.
He wanted to meet at this café not too far from the house.
Quickly, I agreed and ended the live. I still hadn’t spoken to my mom, but I was glad Daddy had finally reached out.
Hopefully he could give me clarity on what the hell was going on.
I was starting to get antsy, thinking I was being stood up, when the chair across from me was pulled out and my dad plopped down.
My eyes widened and I had to blink a couple times, taking him in.
It had been a few months since I’d last seen him, but it looked like years had passed.
Normally he kept a clean face, only a mustache, but right now he had a full beard that needed good grooming.
His eyes had bags under them. He looked like he had lost some weight too.
Dad adjusted the ball cap on his head and looked around before focusing on me.
His mouth pinched together and his eyes seemed darker than I remembered.
“Daddy,” I started, placing the plastic cup on the glass table. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you, didn’t your assistant tell you?”
“I’ve been busy, but I’m here now,” he stated. His fingers tapped the table and he looked around again.
“Right.” I sat up straighter. “Where’s Mom?
I was hoping she would be here with you.
” I looked around. It was strange how on edge he was, as if he was waiting for someone to jump out of the shadows and grab him or something.
Part of me wondered if he’d started using drugs and they were making him paranoid.
He grunted and his face twisted in a frown. “That whore is somewhere with one of her many lovers, I’m sure.”
My eyes bucked. My parents had never been the most affectionate couple, but I’d never heard my dad bluntly disrespect my mom either.
“Daddy, is that really called for?”
“I’ve never been one to mince words. Your mother is a whore. Has been since the day I met her. I should’ve left her in the gutters where I found her.” He muttered the last part but I still heard him.
I sat there stuck, gripping my cup tighter as I stared at the man that raised me. I was used to him being standoffish and serious about most things, but the man in front of me felt like a completely different person. His whole aura was cold and disconnected.
“I don’t understand. Are you saying you two aren’t together anymore? What lovers are you talking about?”
The look that passed on his face made me feel like I had asked if the earth was round. “Xylina, you’re not that stupid. Did you truly think all those girls trips your mother took were actually that? She’s been sleeping around since before you were born.”
My mouth dropped and my words lodged in my throat.
“The only thing that saved her was the fact that she came from a family just as wealthy as mine. Her becoming pregnant and us learning I was the father is the only reason I married her. I never wanted to make her my wife in the first place, but your grandfather forced me so you wouldn’t be born a bastard. ”
My stomach twisted and my skin grew tight.
I wasn’t close to my mom but I didn’t enjoy hearing my dad speak about her like this either.
I’d never asked how they’d met or got together, but hearing it was only her pregnancy that kept them together made something inside me clench.
A baby kept them together, but it was clear it didn’t make them love each other.
Was that the fate I was asking for if I got pregnant?
“Enough about that. She’s one less problem I need to worry about.” He waved his hand in front of him and leaned in. “We need to speak about why I really called you here.”
I blinked a couple times, attempting to gather myself. Although I had more questions, they would have to wait. He was right, we needed to talk about something more serious than his failed marriage.
“Is it about how you drained my trust fund and why all my accounts are frozen?”
I could tell my boldness caught him off guard. I often wasn’t as direct with my dad as I was with others.
Dad’s face fell and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking before he responded.
“The money in your trust fund was mine to begin with. I needed to use it for other matters, and as for the accounts, that’s why I called you here.
I’m sure by now you’ve heard the nonsense they’re trying to charge with me.
I have some money in overseas accounts and that’s something I’m working on getting.
For now, I need a loan, fifty thousand dollars.
Once everything is cleared up, I’ll replenish your trust fund and pay you back. ”
Money was the last thing I’d expected my dad to bring me here for. Foolishly I’d hoped he would inquire about my life and apologize for whatever was going on.
“Daddy, I—”
“I need it in cash since my accounts can’t be accessed right now.”
I shook my head and brushed my finger over the precipitation forming on my cup. “I don’t understand. What’s going on? Why are your accounts frozen? Why are my accounts frozen? The charges against you are serious! Is any of it true?”
I came here gaining more questions than I had in the beginning.
“Of course not!” His voice heightened and he slapped the table, causing me to jump.
People passing the patio area as well as others sitting outside eyed our table.
Dad’s jaw clenched. “This is a witch hunt, that’s all.
Once everything is cleared up, everyone involved will pay!
Legal fees are adding up as well as expenses, that’s why I need a loan. ”
Who was the man in front of me? The dad I grew up around would never sink this low.
“I’m sorry, Daddy, but I can’t help you.”
“What? I told you I would give it back. All this should be cleared up shortly.”
Again I shook my head. My chest tightened. “I don’t have fifty thousand dollars to give you, Daddy. My accounts and credit cards connected to you are all frozen. I can’t even touch my trust fund from Granddad! And I—”
“Your husband is worth millions, Xylina, don’t feed me that shit!”
I was taken back by his tone. My mouth twisted upside down. “Yeah, but we never combined our accounts and we have a prenup, one that you made sure to present. I have nothing to my name right now and you won’t even explain to me why!”
His face grew red and his eyes turned so cold that a chill shot through my body.
“I knew you were fucking useless!” he hissed, veins popping out of his neck.
“Your whole life, all you did was spend my hard earned money. You and your mother never did shit beneficial to me but swiped your cards like your life depended on it. When I gave you to Yosiah, I expected you to learn something beneficial, but I see you’re still the airheaded little girl you’ve always been.
He was supposed to take that burden off my plate, yet here I was, still dishing out money like it grew on trees for you. ”
My mouth dropped. Each word he spoke felt like daggers forced into my chest.
“Your mother might be a whore, but her money hungry ass always kept money somewhere,” he mumbled, looking off to the side then glaring at me again.
“I don’t care what you do, you need to find a way to get in with Yosiah and get access to his accounts!
I financed your whole life for twenty-four years, now it’s time to repay that debt and be useful to me. ”
Tears threatened to form in my eyes. My throat became restricted. “How can you talk to me like that? I’m your daughter!”
“You’re a fucking burden who needs to now carry her weight!
My plan was to cut you off financially once you got married because you were no longer my problem, but since I’m a nice guy I continued to finance you.
You need to show some gratitude and help me out.
I looked up your husband’s net worth; he’s on track to being a billionaire, fifty thousand dollars is nothing to him. ”
Honestly, I was lost for words as I sat there listening to the cruel words my dad spilled out of his mouth toward me. He lifted his arm to check his watch and muttered something I couldn’t make out.
“Call the number I texted you from when you have the money and we’ll meet again.” He pushed away from the table and stood. His eyes cast on me coldly. “Don’t disappoint me, Xylina.”
Like he hadn’t just crushed his only daughter, my dad walked away swiftly, as if he had no cares in the world. By now my hand was covered in my iced coffee from the cup collapsing and the lid popping off from how tightly I squeezed it.
All my life, I’d wanted my parents’ attention and love, but at the moment, I’d never felt more abandoned and disregarded by them.
It felt like I’d just met with a stranger and not the man who was supposed to love and protect me.
My mom was nowhere to be found either, which was another slap in the face.
I’d never felt as alone as I did now. I couldn’t get the money my dad asked for.
Even if me and Yosiah were closer, I would never help someone who disrespected me like that.
For years I had blinders on when it came to my parents and sadly they were finally starting to lift.
This was never supposed to be my life. How did things get this fucked up?
My thoughts shifted to my marriage. The thought of Yosiah leaving me sent a wave of panic through me.
I couldn’t give him up. It became harder to breathe as heat covered my body and my airway struggled to function properly.
Tears clouded my eyes and I was sure my heart was about to beat out of my chest. Squeezing my eyes shut, I attempted to breathe through the smothering feeling overtaking me.
Nothing made sense to me anymore. It seemed like things were going from bad to worse and I had no idea how to fix it.