The Shadow's Game

Chapter 13~Who to Blame

Recap:

"I...I haven't been honest with you. What I have to say isn't easy..."

"Okay I can handle it." I don't know if I'm being honest or lying when I say the last part.

"I never completed medical school. I don't have my diploma and I'm not licensed. I had that made just so I could make decent money for us. I used Henry to check the patients and pretend I did it."

★★★

  I'm so emotionally confused. Should I feel bad for him? He did this for me because he wanted to support his family. Or should I be disgusted because he was greedy and was only after the money and that he committed a crime. That counts as misdemeanour or worse; a felony. My emotions swirl around like a whirlpool until finally one dominates the rest.

  I yank my hand away from him allowing the anger to win.

  "You what?" My words come out harsher than I intended. I'm more angry than anything else. I'm disgusted with his decision to lie. He lied to me for years upon years. Who knows if he even intended to tell me if I hadn't been spying.

  His head drops into his hands. "I couldn't get the grades to make it to medical school. That was my dream ever since I was younger and I was just too much of a failure. And then I had your grandfather pressuring me to-"

  "Don't you dare blame Grandpa for this. This is your fault not his! Why can't you be the adult here and accept responsibility for your actions?"

"I have been! I have accepted the responsibility of this don't you think I know this is my fault? And I've suffered with the consequences of not being a real doctor for years." And immediately all my anger is gone. He's referring to mom. She was his biggest consequence. His eyes fill with tears.

Watching your dad who's been strong for so long finally crack is one of the hardest sights. My anger wavers for a brief second.

"You mean mom," it comes out in a whisper. Even though it was soft you could still hear my voice crack.

He nods slightly. "I wasn't a real doctor. I couldn't help her. I had to get someone else to treat her. And it was only worse when she refused to go to a hospital and stay home. I couldn't help her and I knew that." The anger comes rushing back.

"So you hid this from her too?"

"No, she knew too. Part of the reason she stayed home was to teach me a lesson," he mutters. Well don't I feel included.

  "Do you know what this means? If someone finds out you can get charged. You can lose your job people will judge us both." And that's when it hit me.

As my mind ran over all the possibilities I saw why the stalker had this on us. She was trying to ruin my life. My hand covers my mouth in horror. This has been her plan. First sabotaging my relationship with Jace. Now our family reputation. This bitch is crafty. I remove my hand and compose myself.

  "You thought your only solution was to make up a degree and pretend to be a doctor for 12 years. Twelve freaking years! Wow what a great example you're setting. So glad to be able to call you my father." I can see the look of hurt in his eyes, but I have no intention of stopping.

  "No one will find out about it. I can guarantee you that much." I want to laugh in his face. I want to, but I don't.

  "What is that supposed to mean?"

  "When I had the fake degree made it was by a personal friend. They covered my tracks for me. They made fake reports cards with fake marks to cover my grades and they personally made the degree. They work at a medical school, so it looks real."

  "You are unbelievable. That is just pathetic. I...I just can't," I stutter. My mind is moving faster than my mouth and the words don't come out properly. My head hurts and it feels like my brain is going to come out of my head like how a volcano oozes lava.

"Marley I-" I shoot him a nasty look.

"Save it. Save it like you did from telling me your secret. Good night Dr. Harris. If I can even call you that," I spit out like its venom. I'm furious. I storm out of the office and don't bother to look back when my dad calls my name. Adrianna tries to tell me something with a stern expression, but no words come out of her mouth. I send her a death glare and give her the one finger salute before leaving the building.

★★★

I press my cheek against the grass. The cold helps soothe me. All the sadness and anger have been long gone. I came to the one place I could think clearly.

My mothers grave.

When she was alive she was like my best friend. I told her everything, so of course even though she's dead I'm still going to tell her what's wrong in my life.

I sit up and cross my legs and look directly at her grave. The stone is cracked probably from the weather, but the words are still readable.

Evelyn Harris. Born 1975. Died 2011. Loving wife, daughter and friend.

"I don't know what to do?" I yell. "Dad has a secret and now someone knows. What if word gets out? Then the entire family looks bad! They are out to ruin my life and have found so many ways." I run a nervous hand through my hair.

  "I don't know who to blame. Do I blame dad for keeping the secret or do I blame the stalker for using it against us? He shouldn't have done it in the first place. It's a terrible thing to do! But at the same time I doubt he would have been caught because so many people do it these days. Except the stalker caught on and is now using it against us. I'm just so confused and don't know what to do!"

  I came here to clear my mind, but all it's done is left me to my thoughts.

  "I wish you were here. You could give me some advice." I sigh deeply.

  A sudden gust of wind sends shivers down my spine. A few rows down I can see a loose piece of paper float by. Then another in the row directly in front of me. I look around and see at least a dozen pieces of crinkled paper being blown around me. A couple pass by me and I scoop them before they go away for good. I unfold one and read it.

  Your dad may have his accomplice's silence, but how are you going to buy mine? It comes at a cost ;)

After unfolding each note I realize they all have the exact same message written on them.

  That's it. I'm done playing by her rules. Forget the consequences and the threats. I haven't seen her do anything forceful, so I'm going to take a leap of faith and hope she doesn't when I make my next move. It's time to take action and end all of this.