Chapter 9

I have never felt so emotional in the seventeen years of my existence.

Who would have thought thinking about my father would make him appear like some genie?

It had been so long but he still looked the same but his aura was different.

The good thing was he wasn't wearing a suit. 

He tilted his head sideways as he gave me quick a once over and said "You have grown"

The air was suffocating and I found it hard to breathe.

But being uncomfortable did not stop me from speaking. "Well too bad you weren't around to see it" I said frowning.

He chuckled. 

Why is he laughing? I did not say anything funny.

"You say it as if I just gave up the Oscars from acting in your life"

CRACK! 

I could hear the hopeful part of my heart fall down and break into pieces. What was I thinking? That he would have just come back and accept us after what he had put us through?

I had forgotten about how he used hurtful comebacks on our neighbors back then. If he had been a girl in high school, he would have been the queen B, not the good kind but the one with the venomous words. 

Never had I thought a day would come when he would say hurtful words to his own daughter.

Who was I kidding anyway? He was and would always be a monster.

"it's scary to think people like you are allowed to breed" I said, my voice coming out a little cracked. I felt choked by my tears but I kept it in.

I won't cry. Come on Ruby, you can hold it in for a little while longer. Just remember that he isn't anyone to you. So, his words won't hurt, right?

He smiled. "Well, if I was not, you wouldn't have been here right now and I would not have been in that sorrowful mistake we called marriage"

I clenched my fist while gritting my teeth. It took all the strength in me not to shed any tears. It hurts so much to think that's what one father thinks about his own family.

I swear I have never seen a man as cold and indifferent as Dr stein. Calling him cruel was an understatement.

Taking in a deep breath to calm myself down, I stared at him with my poker face.

"I believe Mr. Leblanc isn't here to insult me and my family. So, to the main point, is there anything I can help you with?"

He hummed as he brought out a handkerchief to clean the counter, threw the handkerchief in the waste bin beside the counter before leaning on it.

I felt a pinch of hatred in my heart. I use to think that I would never hate this man no matter how much he hurt us because he was my father and they say blood is thicker than water. But I was wrong. I will hate him, continue to hate him until I grow old. When studying about family in school, we were told that parents who abandon their children believe they were ill-equipped to provide the emotional and financial stability the child needs. I use to think that, maybe that's why my dad left, maybe that's why I couldn't hate him when he went cuckoo on mom but I was just naïve.

I don't know why he left; I don't want to know because whatever his reason was would not be enough to treat his own blood that way. As I said, he is a monster, a demon sent from hell. 

This supermarket was his dream, according to him it an opening to what he had aspired to be. 

He knew we always clean the counter with disinfectant in a morning like this. Or maybe he doesn't know or has forgotten and since he is rich, he doesn't want any dirt on his Gucci long-sleeved shirt.

But was that enough reason to justify his action?

I sighed. Why am I contradicting my words? I feel like smacking my head with my palm.

"Hmm, no more comebacks from you?"

"I feel like it was a waste of calories and time to keep on exchanging comebacks with you sir"

Since the time he came into this place, this was the first time that he had frowned.

"Better watch your tongue girl. You may have had help the last time but you might not be so lucky the second time and you might lose this supermarket. You don't want that now, do you?" he said in a threatening tone.

A mixture of anger, disgust, hatred was filling my heart to the brim but I kept quiet. 

I stared at him like a robot. The minutes were ticking by and the thick silence that had enveloped the supermarket was getting overbearing.

A gasped was what broke us out from our weird trance.

I turned behind to see my mom. Her braided hair in a bun, the scar on her jaw was very visible, tears brimmed in her eyes as she stared at my 'father'.

Sometime I wonder if she ever had nightmares thinking about this man, seeing him again might bring memories. Gosh, I wonder what Stein Leblanc even wanted now, as if he hadn't done enough.

"Mom I…" 

I wasn't able to finish my sentence when my mom cut me off.

"Ruby, honey…can you please excuse us for a moment? Take a walk down the beach or something?" she asked locking the door behind her with a key probably to stop Amina from coming outside to see him again after so many years. Luckily the room was sound proof.

I frowned when I heard her request. She wanted me to leave her alone with this wild beast? Nuh-uh, not going to happen. What if he gets aggravated and attacks her?

I was about to shake my head when she gave me that puppy dog eyes and said ''please" in a voice that I could not refuse.

I gave one last look at the man still leaning against the counter smirking before walking out.

Well, if they wanted privacy fine.

 Knowing my mom, she would still be so happy to have him notice her and she would fawn over him. I just feel bad for Mina who was locked up in the storeroom. It was for her own good though, it took a long time for her to lock away that image of our father doing that to his own wife.

And here he was again and my mom still ready to do anything for him.

If love really made one that stupid then I better stay away from it. I am too smart to lose all my brain cells over someone from the opposite gender or even the same gender.

Well, mom was right about one thing. I can just use this opportunity to walk to the beach.

**

The atmosphere was warm, relaxing and soothing.

Calmness filled my body, entering into different neurons inside me. I sat on the sand, leg curled up staring at the vast ocean as the tides rise and fall. There are times when I hope to do this. To stop thinking about my troubles, just sit still and listen to the breezes from the whole other world as they whisper.

It was peaceful. It removed my mind from the anxiety, anger, pain and weakness from seeing my father that once filled my mind. 

If the ocean was a human, he would have been happy. Because he had so many friends, other water bodies, animals, he would have been caring also spiteful since he had killed many people too. 

He was unlike me, who was so lonely. I had no one to freely tell my pains to. Even though I do have lucy and Johnny, I don't talk to them much about my life.

I would rather bottle up my emotions while I listen to others. Is just the way I am. Or maybe I just haven't found the right person to share my troubles with, the right person that will make me whole inside. 

Look at me, being all sentimental. 

I cleaned the tears from my cheeks and eyes, taking in deep breaths to calm myself down.

"The happiness of your life depends on the qualities of your thoughts"

I looked up at the person who had walked up to me a few seconds ago.

The person was smiling at me, hands tucked in the pocket of his hoodie, his hair ruffling cuz of the wind.

As always, he tends to look dashing without even trying.

I rolled my eyes. 

Jason Kade, why does he always tend to appear at the most unexpected moment?

Unconsciously, deep down, I was glad to see him.