Chapter 1. The estate

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Sitting in the car, I feel suffocated by how the seat belt wrapped around me. I sat still, quietly looking out the window and watching the trees pass by. By how many trees and greens were around, I could tell we weren't in the city anymore. I was used to the change of constantly different settings. I was very familiar with change. It has happened all my life; I can never stay in one place for too long.

My life was entirely in my father's hands, and he did whatever he felt without acknowledging me and my opinion. Only his opinion matters. He never asks before making decisions regarding me; he just does things without my consent.

Here I was for the 5th time moving again. We moved the first time because of his new job offer, the second time because of his gambling problems, the third time because of his drinking problems, the fourth time, I guess, sadly, because of my mother's death, and the fifth time again his new job offer. I try to support my dad as much as I can. He goes through a lot, and the most I can do is offer emotional support, but sometimes I don't understand him and his way of thinking.

I don't feel sad or had any remorse at my mother dying; honestly, she was a piece of shit; I hated her. She was a selfish, selfless woman. She's the whole reason why my dad got into drinking and all that illegal gambling.

My father was madly in love with my mother; they were high school sweethearts. After graduating, they decided to move out of their parent's place and started living together. After a few years married, then they ended up having me. Yay me. No matter how much my dad loved her, she was a cheater and a liar. She was playing the fuck out of my dad, and he was too blinded by love to notice that. While in a relationship with my dad, she was also out there dating other men and using them for money.

After my dad found out, she argued with him, saying she was just doing it for the money and nothing else; my dad disagreed. Whenever she came home with stacks of cash, I would sit at the staircase and watch them fight. My dad told her he would work extra hard to provide twice the money she was getting from those other guys, but that never really phased her.

I was too young to know about money, but I'm pretty sure we weren't broke; we had a house stacked with food, furniture, and every living necessities. My mom only wanted the money to dress and make herself look good. She was greedy. God, every time I think about her, I just want to throw up.

My dad started gambling after he had gone out to a party and won about $8,000. It was pure luck. Then, after that, thinking he knew the game and was undefeated, he started doing it more, and each time, he lost harder than the last. My dad claims that moving to a new place would be very different this time for us. But... We're moving to a stranger's home. He got a job offer from the company owner of his old job's place.

"Is everything okay, Sie?" (note: this is short for Sierra, you can pronounce it as a sigh, Put them together, Sigh era.)

Oh, now he cares. Does that mean he now wanna know about my feelings? Hah, I doubt it.

"Yes, I'm fine," I answered flatly, dismissing him and staring out the window.

"You're such a good liar that I'm not even sure you're telling the truth or the opposite." I can hear the bitterness in his tone, but I'm gonna ignore it; I don't wanna start any more problems.

"Well, Henry-" I started, but he snapped his angry eyes at me as a warning. My dad and I had lost our connections when I was younger. He's my father, but he's put me through a lot of emotional stress that sometimes I can't even bring myself to call him dad.

I cleared my throat and continued, "I mean, Dad, look, I'm not saying that you're not a good worker or anything, but don't you think it's weird? You were at the bottom, and now Mr. Armsberg gave you this big-ass promotion. Not only that, but it's so far away," I said, throwing both my arms up in defeat.

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