Edited and reposted for The Wattys 2020,

on july 12th 2020

I had to make Father mad enough to enable the security system so I could leave.

Oh, how much I was annoyed when he did that. I would have crushed mountains with my bare hands because of the sudden energy I felt.

I was leaving the house when Father called me to come back. I wasn't sitting with him, though, or listening to anything he had to say. He always made my mood drop. And besides, I hated the man with everything I had.

I looked at him, then resumed my walk. I wasn't changing my plans for him; one of the worst things I could do; I ignored him. He ended up doing one of the worst things he could do to me; disable the system.

I saw the red light stop shining, once I reached the door. It made me so-argh! I turned around, and walked fast back, fist clenched. I didn't even care that that's exactly wat he wanted, and I was giving it to him.

in the semi-lit hallway because of the sunset. He was sitting on our grey chairs at the dinner table, his head turned to ward me.

"what's wrong with you?"

"sit down." He said. Orders again. He liked to control. I hated being his puppet and refused a few months ago. It made think back of Daniel, who said Ken only took that much interest in me because I never spoke up about what mattered.

Maybe he was right. Once I became rebellious—his words- he did stop talking to me so much, and being in my business.

"I'm leaving."

"you can't, unless you hear what I have to say."

I knew he was adamant. I was like that, too. But I really wanted to leave. Standing in the semi-lit hallway, I wondered what would get me out of there fast. Getting him so angry he'd chase me out. changing my tactics. Playing his game.

I walked to the table, and sat in front of him.

"it's for your own good." He said to convince me to sit down. But when I sat down, and looked at him with an interrogative look o my face, he said it again.

The worst sentence you could tell teenagers. When you hear parents say that its for your own good, know that it's probably one of the worst things they cold ever do to you. That got me thinking about Nora, and- as realization dawned on me, I pushed myself away from the table, shaking my head. I already forgot about my new tactic of acting like he didn't get to me.

He did very well. And he needed to know that; suffer the outcome of his year of carelessness about me. I was damaged like that partly because of him. A prick from the beginning. All he ever cared about was himself. No wonder mom left him so soon.

What about me? I muffled my interior thoughts by thinking about more thought-provoking thoughts. I was already mad. Exploding of anger on him like I did to mother was the next thing possible on the list.

"oh no. you can't be serious."

"it's for your own good." He repeated like a robot. He was so infuriating!

I mocked his voice, repeating his sentence. then "how do you know what my good is? What do you even know about me?"

He looked at me straight in the eyes, unmoving. I crossed my arms. "Well, is that all?"

I was very annoyed. I hoped I was done. "she'll help you a lot. She's good." On cue, the woman entered and linked her arm with his as they sat down. I rolled my eyes. "you don't know that. You can't even take care of me."

His eyes didn't budge. I thought I saw tears make his eyes shine. But he blinked so fast I wasn't sure I saw correctly.

Then I saw something shine on the table. My eyes met her hand, and the big diamond finger shining under the light filtrating though the windows. I jumped to my feet.

"so, it's official? What about mom?"

I was intent by then on angering him to let me go. He was the silent type; the one who, the angrier he got, the quite he got. I was like that with other people, not him or mother. Then, I saw someone walk with an uncertain step inside the room, almost as if they weren't sure if they should be there; mother.

I opened my questioning eyes big. Was it because of the angry text I sent her yesterday after finding Nora in my room that she came? I only said

she's even worse than you. Congrats. 😊

"What about the love of your life?" she asked, standing beside me.

"you said it was okay." He said. I looked at mom. "what?"

But she was shaking her head, slowly, like she was afraid it would fall off her neck. Her eyes wee watering. "I never did. But twisting my words is making your feel better, huh?"

"I never did." He was voice was lower, and his pupils would barely visible at some point because of how much he'd close them.

"then what are you doing you coward." She cried. "Ken Air, why are you making our family situation so much worse?"

"what a despicable human. She didn't even say yes. So, you're cheating?"

It's at this point that I heard some commotion at the front door. But I didn't pay attention to it, or anyone else. I was looking at him. I wanted to leave. But also, maybe understand before leaving?

"no that's- "

"shut up. That's what it is."

He talked louder. That when I knew he was really mad. To be more clear, he was almost seething with anger.

"she said I could bring someone to take care of you."

"that's a wife, not someone!"

Again, the sentence that annoyed me. "it's for y'all own good."

I raised my hand in the air. "you know what, I'm done with you!"

I started walking away, but looked back when I reached the opened sliding doors' frame. It's because the system was still disabled. Had that been why Nora said she found the door open?"

"It better be open." I said, pointing at him.

Making a step forward is when I saw the three faces looking at me with confused expressions; Amber holding a phone close to her heart, Tess, a girl I neve a before. I barely registered she was there. I was only looking at the door.

The only think that could deviate my focus was a disaster. My worst nightmare came true. It was Amber's cry that made me stop cold "oh no. I forgot the livestreaming on."

I immediately thought back of her raised phone in the air. "I'm so sorry." She said.

But million of people had seen probably the worst fight w had in a while, and someone no one knew about. I threw myself on the nearest sofa, and covered my face.

I heard Ken say, even from the kitchen, "I though they were your friends."

"exactly." I replied. I knew he heard. He probably could hear the beast-like fans' screams in front of the gates, only held away by security. They wanted answers.

Good job, autumn. I'm probably going to lose the only people that care about me sooner than I thought. They already know I'm a monster.

Stay away from people. They hurt you. It's what they can do best.

And tomorrow I had an important meeting with members of the High Council to see if they approved of my idea.

How was I going to leave my house?