Page 99 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

Mona came to sit beside me. I didn’t want to cry. Not here. Not at all, but the tears came anyway. I stared at the floor while Mona placed her hand on mine.

“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I wiped my eyes. “I don’t know why I am so surprised. I think a part of me knew my father was somehow involved.”

“He doesn’t deserve your tears.”

“I know that, so why does it hurt so bad?”

“Because he’s your dad. It doesn’t matter how ugly his soul is; every little girl wants her daddy’s love. You’re allowed to grieve the loss of that relationship.” She squeezed my hand. “Now it’s your turn to show him that your life is your own. He doesn’t dictate who you marry. You have one life to live. You live it for you. No one else.”

My entire body shook. I was on the verge of crying hard and ugly, but something inside me snapped.

This was the nail in the coffin.

I stood and wiped my cheeks. “I need to go.”

They were both about to learn that I wasn’t the same girl that they used to manipulate.I was so over their shit.

CHAPTER THIRTY

HARLOW

Idon’t even remember walking out of the shop. One minute, I was hugging Mona and saying goodbye, and the next, I was packing an overnight bag and heading to Manhattan.

I didn’t care that Baz had his hands in this, but my father?

I tried to find one good memory. Just one where I felt like he loved me, but nothing came to mind.

There were no bedtime stories. No surprise visits after school to get ice cream like there were when my mom was alive.

I convinced myself that he cared about me in his own way. He just didn’t know how to show it.Now, I finally saw him for what he was.

When I stepped off the elevator, my dad’s receptionist, Rosanna, gave me a startled look. She knew who I was. Everyone did. My old office was right down the hall. It had a corner view and a job title that most people could only dream of. But at that moment, I didn’t feel like I belonged there. Maybe I never did.

I walked past her desk, not even taking the time to greet her.I saw his office was empty, so I walked right in. The room looked the same as it always had, so I wasn’t sure why it felt different.

Floor-to-ceiling windows and a massive mahogany desk with big leather chairs that were overpriced and uncomfortable.A bookshelf with limited edition books that he paid a fortune for but probably never read.

The office was all for show, just like him.

I crossed the room, needing to feel something other than the hurt twisting around in my stomach.

I walked around the perfectly polished desk and slumped in his chair. There was not a single picture of me anywhere. Only award plaques and brag photos of him shaking hands with celebrities and politicians.

I had no idea what possessed me to reach inside the top drawer. Maybe it was hope that I’d been wrong, that I’d find a school picture or one of the many birthday cards I gave him over the year. Something, anything that showed he actually cared.

There was nothing but ledgers, invoices, and business cards, all clipped neatly together. I was about to shove them back inside when something caught my eye. I recognized the logo at the top. It was a receipt for Bob’s Hardware store in Seneca Hills, NY.

My hands shook as I unfolded the piece of paper.

Adjustable Pliers, pipe wrench, screwdriver, gloves, bucket, and towels.

There was only one reason why he would have this receipt. Because he was guilty as hell.

I was holding proof that my father was behind what happened to my house.

I could hear commotion outside the office, so I stuffed the receipt in my purse as he entered the room.

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