Gilded Cage

Chapter 58

My dad's threat hung between us like a dark cloud with nowhere to go.

I mean it, Cate.

His words became stuck in limbo because, for once, I refused to let them permeate my defenses. The lack of emotion that accompanied those four misleadingly simple syllables sparked something inside me that I couldn't quite explain.

I had long surrendered to the idea that my relationship with my dad was beyond salvaging. Even though I rarely worked myself into an emotional frenzy over his disinterest in my existence, as a testament to his intimidating presence, however, I'd continued to fear him, obey him, and cater to his icy moods simply because it was easier to survive this way under his roof.

I mean it, Cate.

My dad had said the same damn thing when he disapproved of Zac. He didn't even try to get to know Zac as a separate individual from Mr. Mazur. In fact, the man had never stopped to ask for my side of the story. He had never tried to see the bigger picture or figure out what was lying beneath the surface of anything pertaining to my troubles. He simply drew his own assessment and assumed that I'd fall over myself to agree with him.

I mean it, Cate.

The odds were always in his favor. Just like they were always in Mr. Sinclair's favor. And Lily's favor.

Why was the world so fucked up?

If there really was a God like Bea claimed, then why did He continually allow the wicked to prosper off the backs of good, innocent people?

Like Tariq?

And maybe Mr. Mazur?

It dawned on me that I'd never be able to wield the same influence on my dad that he exerted over me. I simply didn't matter to him enough, but, for some unknown reason, I still let him sway and skew my behavior, my mindset, my self-worth. This troubling thought filled me with a sense of reckless abandon I'd never been able to summon up in the past, at least, not in my dad's presence, anyway.

I couldn't help asking myself again and again—why the hell was I giving this asshole so much power over me?

A strange, detached stillness, almost like an out of body experience, settled my nerves as I set my jaw and glared back at my dad. "You mean it? Do you really, though? Because sometimes I wonder if you'd even notice if I disappeared. Or died."

My dad's eyebrows arched. Surprise flickered across his face. "What in the world has gotten into you, Cate? You're not acting like yourself."

"How would you like me to act, then?" I inquired quietly. "More like you? Indifferent? Emotionless?"

"What is going on with you today?" my dad growled.

I noticed he didn't rebuke the insults I used to describe his character. Maybe he agreed with me. More likely, he didn't give a shit what I thought about him.

I smiled coolly. "I don't know, dad. Maybe I'm finally beginning to see you and the world around us more clearly."

His gray eyes narrowed sharply. "Are you sick, Cate? Not feeling well?"

"No, I feel great, actually."

My dad bristled. "Well, then, there's no excuse for this blatant show of disrespect that you're indulging in right now."

"That may be the most fatherly thing you've ever said to me."

He grunted warningly, "Do not test me, Cate."

"Would you like me to go back to playing the role of a good, obedient daughter?"

My dad eyed me suspiciously. "Yes?"

As my brazen fearlessness grew with each passing minute, a fascinating idea took shape in my mind. It was a request that I would've never dreamed of bringing up to my dad before, but now, frankly, I didn't feel like I had anything to lose. This newfound audacity was kind of... freeing.

"Let's strike up a deal, dad."

"What?"

"I'll go back to being the Cate you've always known if you do one small thing for me..."

"This isn't a negotiation. I'm your father. You'll do as I say, Cate."

He tried to stare me down. I jutted my chin out at him. "No."

"Caterina..."

Annoyance was embedded deeply in my dad's tone of voice, but, surprisingly, he didn't look ready to murder me just yet. If it had been Trick in my position, egging him on in this manner, my dad probably would've tossed my brother out on his ass by now.

I decided to push ahead with my plea. I supposed the worst thing my dad could do was turn me down, but, if he agreed to help, he could also save me a whole lot of headaches in moving forward with my plans for Lily. First, I needed a bank account. At sixteen-years-old, my dad never set one up for me because of Bea and Trick's mom—fucking Madeline, that witch—and I couldn't very well do it myself because I was under eighteen. By law, whether I went through a traditional bank or tried to set up something online through Venmo or PayPal, a parent or legal guardian needed to act as my cosigner.

At this moment, it occurred to me the easiest way to surmount this obstacle would be to convince my dad to be my cosigner and open an account for me. This was something I'd always wanted from him, but never found the guts to voice it out loud because of his divorce agreement.

"We both know that I'm gonna need to be financially independent by the time I turn eighteen, thanks to Madeline," I started, "so I want you to help me set up a bank account. I'm planning to get a part-time job and start saving up for my future."

"That won't be necess—"

I snapped, "This is the first time I've ever asked you for anything, Dad, and most normal, functioning parents would consider it to be a perfectly reasonable request."

His eyes widened in shock. "I beg your pardon, Cate?"

"Can't you just man up for once and do something for me as a parent?"

"When have I ever let your needs go unmet?"

My lips flattened into a grimace. "Is your answer 'no,' then?"

My dad grew quiet for a moment. "That's not what I meant, Cate."

I sighed in exasperation. "I dunno why I bothered to ask. I should've expected this from—"

He stunned me by butting in, "Fine. Let's do it. I'll set up an account through my bank for you. We'll do it first thing tomorrow morning."

"Wait, what? Really?"

My dad jerked his chin in a nod. "Madeline's not going to be happy once she finds out. She might even try to take me to court over this, but..."

I looked at him expectantly. "But?"

"This is something I've been mulling over for a while now. I'm not going to let you go hungry after you turn eighteen, Cate. My lawyers and I have been looking for a way to circumvent certain clauses on my divorce agreement."

Now, it was time for me to widen my eyes in shock. I felt suckerpunched. I didn't know what to make of this sudden turn of events. A flutter of happiness trembled inside my chest, but I quickly clamped it down out of habit.

A stony gleam entered my dad's eyes. "I know you've been hanging around that Mazur boy a lot lately. If you want to make a deal with me, then let's make a deal. I want you to stop seeing him in exchange for a real future. I can get you more than a bank account, Cate. I intend to put you in my will. You'll never have to worry about money again."