The Owner

Chapter 2

I continue to sit in my dad's office motionless and in complete shock. I hear him talking, but I don't necessarily hear the words he is saying. Of course he is probably trying to explain how he basically sold my life away but how can you really use words to describe something that terrible.  

"Beth, Beth! Are you even listening to me? Look at me for god's sake."  My dad starts to raise his voice.

I look up at him and see tears staining his face. Shouldn't I be crying. If anyone in this building is suppose to be crying, it should be me. Not my dad. I continue to stare at my dad, showing no emotion. There is a long silence that fills the room. I break the silence with one simple question.

"How?"

My dad just sits there. He acts as if I hadn't said anything. He puts his head in his hands once again and his shoulders start to shake. Another minute passes by before I stand to my feet and ask once more.

"How in the hell could you trade me for a damn company," I scream, tears threatening my eyes.

My dad jumps a little from my outburst and then looks up, refusing to look me in the eye. He looks around as if he doesn't know where he is, like he is looking for the right words to say. 

"Let me start from the beginning, Beth. I met with Mr. Styles in his office to discuss possible ways of fixing all of this shit. I would pitch ideas but nothing was good enough. I'm pretty sure he just wanted to see me squirm," he scoffs.

I keep my eyes on my dad.

He continues, "anyways, he turns down all of my offers and then tells me the one thing he wants. At first I thought it was all a messed up joke, but when I realized he wasn't laughing with me I just froze. Beth his company isn't a normal industry. It's like the one I use to run, the one I told you about. He has certain connections with certain people. Beth, once he wants something, there is no way of stopping him. Trust me he is just like his crazy ass father and I've known him since we were in high school." 

He doesn't add anything else. Without realizing what I'm doing, I grab the picture on my dad's desk, of me and him and throw it. Immediately I fall to the ground, not noticing that I threw the picture through the glass that separates my dad's office from the rest of the building. I continue to cry hysterically, my whole body shaking. There is no way out of this. I know the type of business Mr. Styles is running, because my dad use to have the same one.

My dad told me about it when I was in high school because I saw him and my mom fighting one night. After the fight, the next day he explained that he had this type of business before and during his relationship with my mom, and she thought he had started again. He hadn't though. He stopped once he found out my mom was pregnant with me. He didn't want to drag me into that world. My dad's partner in this business was Mr. Styles dad, and he was not happy when my dad dropped out. 

In this business, once you are traded or sold you belong to that person until they agree to release you. It doesn't matter if you tell anyone because they have friends in high places. They have connections that prevent you from escaping. Knowing Mr. Styles from a few business meetings and his father from stories, it doesn't surprise me that he somehow got my dad into this type of mess again, dragging me along.

I'm taken out of my thoughts when I feel a set of strong arms wrap around me. I hear my dads quiet apologies as he holds me tight. I don't push away, but I don't accept it either. I'm too exhausted, emotionally, that I just can't move, speak, or breathe. 

By now most of the employees in the building are trying to clean up the glass, thanks to me. I manage to get up and I walk to my own office. I hear my dad calling after me but I don't respond. I close my doors and lock them. I try to move but it's like I'm paralyzed. I slide down the double doors to the ground and hug my legs. I sit there for a good while until I get tired of listening to my damn phone ring. I drag my feet as I go to answer my phone.

"This is Ms. Collins," I perk up as much as I can under the circumstances I'm in.

I hear a familiar deep chuckle and my stomach instantly drops. 

"I am so excited to start working with you, Ms. Collins. Trust me, you will  love Styles Enterprise and it wouldn't surprise me if you end up loving me too," Mr Styles laughs. I hang up and throw the phone to the wall. Luckily it's not a glass wall like the one in my dad's office, but it still leaves a good dent. I grab all of my belongings and head back home. All questioning and confused eyes are on me as I walk through the office and out to the car. 

I beat my dad home and find my mom in the sitting room reading one of my favorite books, Great Gatsby. As soon as my mom makes eye contact with me, tears start running down my face. My mom helps me to the couch and I tell her everything. She tenses up when I mention the underground business and tears threaten her eyes as I continue. My dad bursts in through the door and there is instantly a fight between him and mom. I just sit on the couch and block their pointless insults and unnecessary threats. They finally bring their voices down to a reasonable volume. My dad paces around the room as my mom stays by my side trying to comfort me.

"Look, I'm sorry Beth but I have spent almost half of my life building this company. At least this way you won't have to be poor or live in a box on the streets. Just think of Mr. Styles as your new boss. It shouldn't be too bad, right? It just can't be." dad tries to reason with me.

"It shouldn't be too bad? Are you fucking serious dad. You told me about the people who were sold and they seemed to have a pretty terrible fucking time. I can't believe your own daughter, your only daughter was so easy for you to sell to some guy. I just can't fuc--" There is a loud knock at the door followed by the doorbell. 

My dad goes to answer it, running his hand through his hair. He waits a second to compose himself before he opens the door. My heart sinks as I see him standing at my door, with that stupid fucking smirk. 

His deep voice resonates through the house as he says, "I'm here to pick up my new belonging."