Not her own

Lily

Lily remembers the day when she made that life-changing decision. She was playing tea party with her dolls and teddy's when she heard daddy shouting downstairs. She knew that when daddy got angry she was supposed to be a good little girl and ignore it but for some reason, her little feet crept down the stairs. Tip toeing across the hall and her little ear fell against the keyhole to her dear old daddy's office. He was angry. No. He was furious. She listened, careful not to make a sound. The babbling started to form into words,  then sentences until she could hear everything. "No, No, No, ....... She won't....... She's not like that........ I DON'T CARE WHAT THE OTHER GIRLS ARE DOING!..... NO, NO, NO...... CALM DOWN!... YOU SIR ARE ACCUSING MY DAUGHTER OF TREASON...... you listen here now,  my daughter, as little as she my be, is not going to rebel. She knows the rules and respects them. I know that in the past there has been girls who rebelled and swore that their legacy will continue someday but it is not in my daughter". The voice started to get louder. Lily could not figure out why until it was too late. Her dad, still on the phone, opened the door and seen her. Just after he had said into the phone "I trust her John, she would never disobey me".

Lily tried to think of an excuse as to why she was kneeling on the floor outside daddy's office. She was... Polishing the doorknob, no no she was.....  Picking up setting she dropped no no she was...
" Lily, what are you doing here " her dear daddy said, furiously.
" I.. Uh.. I was... " she stammered.
" You were spying on me, weren't you! " he roared.
" No no I wasn't I was... " she was cut by him picking her up quickly and dangling her upside down. She screamed at him to put her down."  TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU HEARD! "he roared.
"Nothing nothing I heard nothing" she pleaded. He jiggled her more. She screamed in terror.  He was really frightening her. "TELL ME! NOW!" he screamed at her. " I swear I heard nothing just put me down!"
He blinked as if in realization of what he was doing to his daughter. He put her down gently. The terrified look in her eyes hurt him so much. She looked at him like a mouse, so easily trapped.  "Daddy"  she whispered. She was being cautious. "Are you going to punish me like the other girls who are naughty?". Tears were in her eyes. He took one look at her and broke down crying in the middle of the floor. "I'm sorry sweetie I really am, it's just, I'm so afraid that you'll end up like those other girls, I can't lose you too" he cried. She came over with big innocent eyes and hugged him. "Just promise me you'll never rebel, you'll never be naughty" he said to her.
"I promise daddy" she cried.

Lily went to bed that night thinking about daddy. She had promised him not to but the thought of being herself was very intriguing. She rolled over onto her back and looked up at her ceiling. I mean if she couldn't be herself then how she be happy. Or even ALIVE. I don't know. Daddy can be himself. He's a big business man in a big company with lots of other men. That's just it. Women can't work in this town. But what if she did work...
It is at that moment of time that young Lily decides.

"I want to be a lawyer."