I sent a look Dad’s way. “Oh, I was very surprised.”
“I was actually surprised to learn you were in this school. I heard from your dad that you’re a senior?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She giggled. “Oh, please, just call me Tina. We’re going to be family soon, after all.”
Tina sent this sappy look at my dad that made me feel kind of sick, especially when he returned the look. I waited until he seemed to notice I was looking at him, and I sent him a quick glare before smiling back at Tina.
“Could you excuse me for a moment? I need to use the bathroom. Dad, won't you show me where it is?”
“Of course, son,” he said, quick on the uptake, and got up.
He led me all the way to the bathroom. Then, he checked to see if there was anyone inside, before turning to me with a grin.
“You’ve seen her, right?” He said with a proud look. “I didn’t lie. Did you see the earrings she was wearing? They’re real diamonds. The rest of her jewelry, all gold. She’s loaded, kid.”
I frowned at my dad, not feeling happy about his words at all, though he looked ecstatic. It looked to me like he was lying to the poor woman about their relationship, like he was only with her for her money. The way she was acting with me, she definitely thought we were going to be a family and wanted to get to know her soon to be stepson. I felt a little sick.
“I’ve already talked to her about it,” he continued. “She’ll be sending me something. I have this new venture started up, and I feel really good about it. I’ve given her the details on it. The moment she transfers the money into my account for the venture…” his grin widened. “I’ll be back on the divorce road again.”
Fuck.
I turned around and leaned my palms on the marble counter, because I couldn’t stand to look at my own father. The sick feeling in my stomach grew, and for a moment, I wondered if I would actually vomit. I turned on one of the taps and threw cold water on my face, trying to settle my mind and my stomach.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing, Dad?” I said, and at him in the mirror.
I had never hated my dad. Sure, there were times when I wasn’t happy with him, but since he was my only family, I couldn’t hate him. And, while he gave me plenty of reasons to be disappointed, he’d never made me feel like I could actually hate him before, until now.
Even with all the problems we had, I’d always thought we would get through them some way, even if the road was rough. But Dad had always been a dreamer, or at least that was what I thought, not a fucking con man.
“What are you talking about?” He asked with a confused but huffy expression. “This is what we both need, okay? She’s got plenty of money, so she’s not going to cry over it, and I feel really good about this venture.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. I’d never seen him look so confident about something he had planned, as if that confidence was enough to get him to try something like this when it was clearly immoral. And maybe even a crime.
It was still pretty stupid, though.
“Do you ever think before you do shit?” I hissed, and whirled to face him. “Dad, what you’re doing isn’t right, morally or legally! I’m not in law school, but I know if I asked about it, I would find out this is something that could get you thrown in jail!”
Dad shrugged, uncaring. “That’ll only happen if I get caught.”
My jaw dropped, and I could only stare at him for a long moment, stumped. So, he realized what he had planned was wrong on so many levels, but he still planned to do it?
“Don’t worry so much,” he said when I didn’t continue. “Everything will be fine, all right? And you’ll get to finish college this year and graduate. It’s what you wanted, right?”
Yes, it’s what I wanted, but not like this!
“I’m not going to let you,” I muttered, and looked down at my curled fists.
He frowned. “What?”
I shrugged and looked up at him defiantly. “You’re my dad, and I’ll take half the blame for this, I loaned you money when I shouldn’t have and now you want to do this to pay me back. The thing is, I’m not letting you do this, Dad. I can't. It’s wrong.”
I turned to storm out of the bathroom. I didn’t even know what I was going to say, but I knew I had to tell Tina what a conman my dad was, I couldn’t live with my myself if I didn’t try to to tell her.