Disobedience

Chapter 43: Disobedience

Kimberly Jane

The serene bossa nova music playing on top of the chatters here at the Wolfgang's Steakhouse doesn't seem to calm my nerves. It was actually nerve wracking to sit in here again after so many weeks of not doing so.

"Thank you," I said to the waitress when she placed a fourteen ounce medium rare steak with mashed potatoes and gravy in front of me. Unlike before, I didn't wait for my late father so I could order. I didn't get him anything at all, actually. Not even water. Old Kimberly would have patiently waited and already anticipated what he's gonna order and let the waitress know so I could appease him.

For so many years, I've done that but I am done.

When he arrived, he eyed the way I was cutting my steak. He put his coat jacket on the back of his chair still giving that suspicious and somehow offended look that I didn't wait for him.

"Did you order my food?"

"I think you're perfectly capable of doing that, father." I said with a smile as I chewed what was in my mouth. The waitress came back and got his order.

"I don't think eating that amount of food is good for your shape." Nanunuya niyang sabi.

I snorted.

"I really don't care about it anymore, father. I work out and sleep well. I don't see the point in watching the scale. I think that paying attention to it gives me unnecessary body dysmorphia and I would rather not." I replied.

Plus Elijah loves my body and the way it is, that's the only thing that matters to me.

"Body-Body Dysmorphia ka pang nalalaman. Hindi naman totoo 'yan. Huwag mong sabihin sa akin na depressed ka na rin?" He shook his head and scoffed. "Kalokohan."

Every time he opens his mouth, I get so ashamed that he is my biological father.

"They are real mental condition cases." I objected. "But I'm not here to argue about that with you," I took a deep breath and put my fork and knife down beside the white plate. "I showed up to this dinner to let you know that I want out." I said confidently and sipped on my red wine.

Nagsalubong ang kanyang mga kilay.

"I will support you in your upcoming candidacy but I will do it my way, which means I'll publicly break whatever fake relationship I have with that sad excuse of a man."

The gag is that even after the two week break that my father gave me from seeing Travis, I still haven't seen him after that—-I just paid the bastard a large amount of money to keep his mouth shut and never tell his father that I never moved in.

"I want to be out on my own, running my firm, teaching, and representing people in court. But I don't ever want to be involved with anything that you ever decide to do." I firmly added as I looked at him. My hand was shaking under the table but I kept my composure.

He chuckled mockingly.

"Who do you think you are to demand anything, hm?" Nanunuya niyang tanong. "Anak lang kita. Kapag sinabi ko, gagawin mo." Duro niya sa akin.

For the first time in my life, I laughed at his face because of how ridiculous that sounded.

"If you didn't like the way I'm behaving maybe you should've left me with my mother in the states." I fired back.

He flinched like I hit a nerve.

"Aba't sumasagot ka na." I caught his hand before he could slap me. His eyes widened when I tightened my grip around his wrist with a shiny watch. "Father, I am thirty-two years old and clearly no longer a girl you could just pull into anything anymore. Most of my life, I have spent dedicated to  appeasing you, making sure I have always been on top of my class, got the scholarships, even went to top colleges and law school. I became one of the youngest attorneys that this country has ever seen. I have my own firm bearing your name, and still it wasn't enough to make you happy." My eyes watered.