Waves of Ruin

Chapter 2

I don't think I have ever been this furious. My mind is reeling for something to say that won't come out making me sound like a child who just lost their favorite toy. "You've got to be kidding me?" I say with my teeth clenched, on the verge of screaming. My feet are planted to the ground, in fear that if they weren't I might launch myself across this table at my father.

"Of course I am not kidding." He says with a smug look on his face that only makes me angrier.

"I can't afford to pay that, hells, I dont know many people who can. How do you expect me to?" I say, more anger in my voice then I'd hoped. He looks at me, like this is a business deal and he couldn't be bothered to care.

I turn to my mother, "Mom, you can't seriously be letting him do this to me? Most of his ships are not owned by their captain." I say pleading, hoping to get any reaction out of her.

"Darling, I-" she starts.

"Your mother has nothing to do with this, I own these ships and this is my decision to make. You should be grateful that I have let you use my ship for these past years, but instead I see that you are ungrateful." He shakes his head, still a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. This is exactly the reaction he wanted from me.

"I am grateful, but I run that ship that same way as your others are run, making shipments, picking up cargo, doing whatever the hells I'm asked to do. And last time I checked you didn't make any of your other captain's pay for their ships, unless that has changed?" I say.

"What I do with my other ships is none of your concern, only what I am doing with yours. So either return the ship to me, or find a way to pay off your ship." He says, a little annoyed that this conversation is taking so long, apparent that he is losing amusement quickly.

It's obvious he isn't going to change is mind, "what if I can't pay the money? Do you expect me to go back to working on one of your other ships?" I ask.

"If you are unable to find a way to pay me for that ship, then you will have to come back to this house and marry a suitable man like we intended for you to, before you galavanted off on that ship."

With those words spoken I am hit with dizziness. I start to sway but I catch myself. I can't move back here much less marry someone while living here. I escaped for a reason, this life, the way they live, its nothing I want a part in. I have worked to make a name for myself and I am not letting it go because my father backed me into a corner. "And what if I decide to give back your ship and start working on another?"

"Well if you can even find a ship that will let you on doing anything more than cleaning up excrement, I'll be surprised. However, they may also start asking around as to way you would leave the ship that you've been working on for years, and I'll just have to be honest with them." He says.

"You are going to lie to ensure that I won't be able to work on another ship! Are you in that desperate need of money or do you just want to force me back here?" I say, losing all composure, yelling now.

Starting to get annoyed he says "how dare you accuse me of such things. I will simply say that you weren't willing to put in the work after things got hard."

"Things got hard, but hard you mean paying an outrageous amount of money!" I am fully yelling now.

Standing up slowly he says, "I'm done arguing with you, I have been generous enough to offer you options, neither of which I am entitled to do, and all I get is resistance, ungratefulness and attitude."

I dont even know what to say anymore. Nothing I say will make him change his mind or understand that he is not helping me by forcing my hand. I turn to my mother, she is looking down at the floor, unmoving. I'll find no help in her.