Fighter

Chapter Three - Home

"Ann, I'm back from school!" I yelled when I entered the house through the garage, heading towards my room/paint studio.

"Hun, come here quickly before you go paint!" She yelled, and I would've said maybe later but I could hear distress in her voice and there's only one thing that can do that. My parents.

"Coming!" I semi ran to the kitchen hoping that Ann was okay and that she was pulling my leg. However when I got in the kitchen, sitting at the bar were two of the most annoying, unloving, pestering people I've come to know as strangers.

"Darling, how was your first day of school?" My mother coaxed, her tone full of fake curiosity and care. My father looked up from his newspaper to look at me, waiting for my answer. However, I'm seventeen, actually eighteen in two weeks so I don't really need to answer to them anymore. I don't need to be a personal servant that my mother gave birth to just because they wanted someone to hand the company to. I'm my own person, and I have been every since they left me years ago for that god forsaken company. That's all I ever hear about and it makes me mad. The least they could do is send me a birthday card or try to make it to important events of mine, but nope. "I'm sorry, daughter, we can't make it. The company is in a really busy time right now." That same monotone voice I would hear over the phone or on a note left by someone who answered them. Thinking about all of this made something deep inside me snap, the resolve and control I had over myself when they're around was gone. I suddenly didn't care what they thought, what I said, or what I did, I just wanted to be true to myself.

"Don't. Don't act like you care when I know you don't. You've told me more than once that I was only born because you wanted someone to pass the company to. I haven't seen you in years, you haven't attended any of the events you've been invited to, you've barely called, when you do it's while I' at school so even if I wanted to I couldn't talk to you. You throw me around to your rich friends like a rag doll, showing me off, bragging about me, making me sound like a conceited spoiled brat. There's a difference between caring and checking in for show, to make sure you're still in control. Well, I'll tell you this, there is no love for you two strangers in my heart anymore. I don't want you in my house ever again, or anywhere near here. You don't need to be here, your company is across the States so goodbye. You have no reason to be here. You're trespassing on private property and are not welcome." I finished, pointing to the door. I almost burst out laughing at the shocked look on their faces and even on Ann's. Their shock quickly turned to anger quicker than a snap of fingers.

"Listen here, young lady, this is our house, this is our property and you of all people are not to be talking back. Understand?" My father tried to sternly tell me but he forgot to cover his undeniable anger.

"I thought your lawyer told you. I am now the owner of this house and property, not to mention all the workers here are on my salary and you are trespassing. Leave now before you are removed."

As of last, on my sixteenth birthday, I owned this property, and 53% of all profit their company makes yearly. Right after I had shown my lawyer proof of my so called parents not showing any responsibility to me for the last six years, he had almost immediately agreed to sign the papers and if needed, take them to court. To the state, I am now an Independant, and I have emancipated in the state's eyes.

"We're your parents, you can't kick us out and even so, there's no way the state would let a fifteen year-old own eight acres and put thirty people on a salary. You don't even have a job." I scoffed at my father's tone, his ' I'm right, no matter the facts stacked against me' tone.

"You're wrong on a whole bunch of levels. One, I'll be eighteen in two weeks and the state sure as hell did grant me this property with an iron clad contract no even your high class lawyer can break through. Two, there are eleven acres of land, most of which I let our staff build a house on and live in. Three, there are fifty-three people working here, all on my salary, not yours. Finally, I do have a job, but no matter the security people you put on to try and find out, you won't." I finished as I walked over to the intercom to call security and escort these trespassing people of my property.

"Why? Why would you do this to your own parents? What have we ever done to you? What did we do to deserve this?" My mother asked, looking upset. I scoffed in disbelief. How can she be shocked about this? She raised me to be smarter than the next person and I am, I'm smarter than her and my father.

"How could you stand there and act like you're genuinely shocked? What did you do to deserve this? How about what you didn't do? You thought I was fifteen for crying out loud! I'm about to graduate high school! You missed me getting my permit, my license, high honors every semester, and everything else I wanted you to see! You missed my games, my award nights, the parades I was in, everything! Ann knows more about me than you two do! You didn't do anything for me! You're only keeping me so you can pass that goddamn company to me when you feel like you're finally going to kick the bucket! I'm not a pawn, I'm not a trophy you can wave around at people whenever you feel like, and I'm sure as hell not your daughter anymore. You wanna blame me, then there really is something wrong with you because the only people at fault here are you two. You taught me to get rid of the weak and rise up the strong, well you're the weak link so goodbye. When you feel like actually caring about what I do, give my lawyer a phone call and schedule an appointment." I walked out of the room before they could say anything else, and I walked right into the entire staff listening in on our conversation. They looked petrified I had caught them but I didn't care, I just wanted to leave, I wanted to go somewhere they could never find me. In less than a second, I knew the exact place I was going, I was going back there. Back to my track.