Muted Anguish

CHAPTER 14: A DANGEROUS STEP

APRIL'S POV

"You are a McFallen, yet you never act like one! Even your grades fail to show that you're one of us. Our family name has been associated with remarkable intelligence for decades and you are not going to be the exception, I will not allow it. I did not father an imbecile" my father thundered angrily, a piece of paper squeezed in his hands, the line between his forehead a deep V. "If not for Alice's faithfulness in this marriage I would've doubted you were my blood"
It was one of those days I dreaded the most. One of the days I had to show him my report card. I wasn't totally dumb, father just never thought my efforts were enough. He always wanted more from me, demanded more from me. Every day he constantly hounded me to do better. On days I got 'B's' he yelled, on days I got at least two to three 'A's' he yelled some more and hounded me to do better next time. 'What's stopping you from having 7'A's'?' he would yell then go ahead to mention some students that were ahead of me in class. How he got the information, I didn't know.
Sometimes he seized my credit cards or froze my accounts. Forcibly collected my phone or prevented me from leaving the house on weekends. That was how much of a monster my father was.
"By now you should've been titled the most intelligent girl in school. Unarguably. The star scholar. Instead, look at these grades" he flung the crumpled piece of paper that was my report card, at me. "Do they look like the grades of a star scholar?!"
I was seated on the floor with my hands wrapped around my legs, quiet.
"Answer me you foolish girl or have you gone dumb as well?"
"No" I squeaked and looked at my mother. She stood by the door, silent. She was always silent on occasions like this "No they do not"
"If only your mother had given me a boy, if only I'd had a son instead of you" he turned away from me in disgust "You are a disgrace April! To me and this family! A stain, a failure" he laid emphasis on the last word and faced me again. A scary scowl plastered across his face "My biggest failure. I knew that from the day I saw you come out of your mother''
"Eric please!' My mother made to intervene "You're too harsh on her. She is...'' she threw me a pitiful glance, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes "...she is much too young for this"
"Shut your mouth or do I need to remind you of your place" he stepped towards her menacingly and I watched my mother cower in fear "This is your fault, after all, you stupid worthless bitch! She's just like you. The uselessness..." he paused and corrected "... her uselessness stems from you. Your incorrigible genes" He pointed an accusing finger at her and spat out irritably "Like mother, like daughter"
"But I only got a C, father. I promise I'll do better next time" I spoke up quickly so he would turn his attention away from mum and to me "I swear it, dad"
He walked back to where I was and looked down at me, his coal black eyes unusually dark and flinty, boring holes into my face, scaring the wits out of me. "That's what you said last time. How do you intend to get into Harvard if you keep on getting these grades? You are my only child, the one who's going to take over the McFallen Institute as soon as I retire" he took hold of my ear and jerked me up with it, I whimpered in pain
"Eric PLEASE STOP!!" My mother yelled
"If you do not get at least 6A's by this month's end I shall renounce you as my daughter"
I was fourteen and I had 7A's that summer

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The strong wind whipped through my hair and short dress. By now a noisome crowd had gathered at the front of the building, looking up at me. I drowned out the noise and spread out my arms like an eagle, shutting my eyes tightly, the tears gliding down my cheeks
It had to be done.
Perhaps my death would eventually mean something to him.
It would only take a minute and then it would all be over.
I could already visualize the headlines in the papers:

"April McFallen, daughter to Mr and Mrs McFallen, heiress to the McFallen hospital and Institute for mental health, and niece to the vice chancellor takes her life by leaping off a building"