Page 55 of The Deadbeat DILF
“Are you telling me that you own a ten-thousand-dollar watch, and yet you can’t even buy your own flesh and blood nice things?” he asked. “Ten thousand dollars could help me start my burger shop.”
What happened to the donut shop idea?
“I have bought you stuff,” I said, on the verge of exploding. “How many things have I paid for over the years? You’ve squandered all of it.” I turned to glare at Mom and Dad, because they weren’t exempt from my words.
“The watch isn’t all I’m missing,” I said. “Return it all now, or I’m pressing charges.”
“Brooke, you wouldn’t,” Mom said. “We’re your family.”
I didn’t reply. My expression must’ve conveyed that I wasn’t playing around because, after a second, Mom deflated. She disappeared into her room and returned with a Chanel handbag and a Hermès scarf. Gemma also gave up a belt.
Earlier today, when I noticed a Chanel bag was missing, I combed through the rest of my closet and made a list of everything that had disappeared. The watch, handbag, scarf and belt was all of it.
I popped everything into the handbag and fixed a cold look on my family. “I can’t believe you would do this to me.”
“They didn’t mean anything by it,” Dad said. “Women like pretty things. You can’t blame them.”
“They took my things without asking,” I said. “That’s theft. Why didn’t you ask me?”
“Because you would’ve said no,” Brandon said.
Gemma nodded, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “It’s true,” she said. “You are kind of a selfish person, Brooke.”
I wanted to scream. Instead, I kept my composure. “Fine, I’m selfish. I was selfish when I paid for your hotel. I was selfish when I paid to repair the plumbing. I was selfish when I paid for your health insurance. I was selfish when I paid for Brandon’s course, which he didn’t even complete. I was selfish when I gave Dad money, even though I knew he’d just gamble it all away. I was selfish when I continued to try to get along with my family, even though you don’t respect me.
“All I ever wanted,” I said, my voice growing louder, “was for you to be proud of me. Instead, you make me feel guilty about my success. Well, guess what? I worked for it. And I got what I wanted, despite the fact my family doesn’t support me. I said I wanted to be a lawyer in high school, and you all laughed at me. Now you’re pestering me for money and stealing my things.
“Thank you,” I said, turning to make eye contact with each of them. “No, seriously, thank you. This entire time, I’ve thought I was a bad person, and I’ve been punishing myself for it. I was so eager to prove I was a good person that I invited a literal stranger to live in my home.” I laughed because it was kind of absurd when I said it aloud. “But now I realize I’m not awful. Ideserve to be treated better than this. I deserve love and respect and support. So you know what? You can all fuck yourselves.” With that, I picked up the handbag my mother had “borrowed” and marched out of the house.
Once I was back on the train, heading toward the city, I reflected that telling my family to fuck themselves was not the most mature thing I could’ve possibly done. But I didn’t care. I felt weightless.
I should’ve done this ages ago, but I couldn’t imagine the version of me from a few months ago standing up for herself.
That Brooke was too hard on herself. She blamed herself for not trying hard enough.
I’d changed after meeting Robert. Despite how everything went down in the end, the time we had spent together had changed me. He’d helped me see that I was worthy of love. He’d held me while I broke down. He’d stood up for me. He’d told me I deserved better.
Despite the exhilaration of finally standing up to my family, my heart ached. I wished I could go home to Robert and tell him what I’d done. He’d sweep me up in a hug and say that he was proud of me.
But he had left.
Determination bloomed inside me. No. I knew what I wanted, and I knew I deserved it. I wanted love—reallove—and I was going to chase it.
I couldn’t sleep that night. The bed was too big, too cold. I tossed and turned, reaching out for Robert and remembering that he wasn’t there. He was gone.
I could admit that part of it was my fault. I’d been quick to accuse him of stealing the watch. If I were him, I would’ve been insulted too. But our fight had been about so much more thanthat. We’d started talking about Mike, and that’s when he’d shut down.
Yes, he had admitted to cheating on his wife and being a bad father, but I couldn’t believe it. All my instincts told me that he was a good man. He’d been nothing but sweet and gentle with me, and I refused to believe he was a horrible husband and a deadbeat dad, like Mike had said.
I couldn’t let him slip away—not without getting a proper explanation out of him. We had something real, and I wanted it back. I was ready to take a risk for once and put my heart on the line because he was the person who made me the happiest.
Eventually, I dozed off for a few hours but jerked awake at the crack of dawn. I felt like I was buzzing with adrenaline, and I hadn’t even had my morning coffee yet.
I had a shower, dried myself off, and went through my morning routine, feeling like a woman on a mission. I applied my skincare products as I thought about what I would do. I needed to talk to him, but it couldn’t be over the phone. We had to have a conversation in person.
As soon as the clock hit eight o’clock, I called Robert’s work.
It was a Sunday, but I figured at least someone would be working.
