Only, Always, and Forever You

33 - Peace

Cole's POV:

After leaving Amara, I feel a pit in my stomach. It's guilt from ignoring her, from treating her like she doesn't exist. I can't stop thinking about how shitty she must feel, as well as myself.

To distract myself, I walk over and grab the letter my father left me, which lays on my desk. It's been sitting there ever since I got it, and I haven't dared touch it since then. I didn't want to give myself a reason to be in a bad mood. But now I figure that, if I already feel this bad because of Amara, it can't get much worse. I might as well get it over with now.

I unfold the stationary paper, definitely too professional to be used from a father to son, but whatever. I wouldn't expect much else.

I hold back the bile that rises in my throat after reading the "Dear Son," and I push myself through the whole letter this time.

Let me tell you: it's a bunch of bullshit.

What a surprise.

It just says a bunch of crap about how much he "loves" me and how he "can't wait to see the young man [his] son will become."

So, yeah. It's a load of horse shit.

It might seem like he's trying to make an effort, and I'm just trying to spite him, but let me tell you: that couldn't be farther from the truth.

James Anderson is a sad excuse for a father, if you can even call him that. The only way that he and I are related is biologically. The only thing he's ever given me was life. Not love, not acceptance, not anything more. Except for maybe money. He throws money at me as an apology for not loving me.

He's a big time politician, and overall, he's just a very wealthy, powerful man. This also means that he gets away with basically everything. No one dares to question him, and considering he basically owns everything within 100 miles of our house, even law enforcement looks the other way.

I've given up on waiting for the day he gets what he deserves because I don't think it'll happen. No one would dare. Not even me. The only person who I wish would stand up to him is my mom, but I don't completely blame her.

My father is a horrible man. He acts all lovely and caring when eyes are on him, but behind closed doors, you'd never want to be alone with him.

He's shady and conniving. Not to mention that he is no stranger to taking out his frustration on my mom and I. I've learned to fight back, especially in order to protect my mom, but I can't escape it. I can only put up with it.

You might wonder why.

My mom is the only way I'd be able to escape him, but she's not going anywhere any time soon. Not because she doesn't want to — because trust me, we both desperately want to — but because she can't.

My father has made sure that she is 100% dependent on him to live. He doesn't let her earn her own money, he doesn't let her talk with her family, he doesn't let her go anywhere unsupervised, and he doesn't let her speak to anyone other than staff, him, and me.

So when I turn 18, I'm using all the money I've saved, and I'm getting my mom and I far away from here. Far away from him.

James Anderson is nothing short of cruel.

I wish others could see him for who he is, but instead, they adore him. His smile is plastered on most billboards in this fucking town, and people admire him for the work he's done in office.

It's sickening, the things money and power can hide.

I'm done reading the letter, and I take no time before ripping it to shreds and flushing it down my toilet.