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He shook his head “We’ve discussed this, and I told you no You’ll be joining the firet that stupid dream Your mother put that idea in your head when you were a kid—one of her row out of it”

I curled my hands into fists at my sides I hated the way he spoke ofWhen, in fact, it was the opposite She had ht spot in my world

That died when she did, and ain My already distant father beca His entire world revolved around one thing—money Happiness didn’t matter I didn’t matter—a fact that he made perfectly clear

I tried one more time “Father, please—”

He stood, slauone, Lincoln The car, your allowance, any freedo”

I kneas serious

“When do I start?”

“You report day after tomorrow I’ve decided you can stay there, but you come back every Sunday to report in You keep your eyes open and your nose clean Caood job, there’ll be a reward”

I frowned My father never gave rewards “Sir?” I asked

He smiled—one of his cold, unreal s ani the lease”

I turned and left, not wanting hiust I headed out the door and hurried down the path to the cliff that overlooked the water below I sat on the edge, drawingmy arms on them

I knewthe shelter was in Hell, he owned s and businesses in town Not that anyone knew it His maze of numbered companies kept that hidden Rents went up, people lost their ho the sick, twisted ga at the fact that it was hi people around like pieces on a chessboard To most people, my father was a well-respected business with a lot of real estate, including sos in Toronto He sat on the chaht with the mayor and the police here in Mission Cove He duped them all

I despised him

I had been looking forward to spending the whole su the brains of the vets who volunteered their time there I had hoped to convince one of them to let me volunteer at their clinic so I could learn reat on et into, and I would need all the help I could get

Except my father had just crushed those drea else I hoped for Everything I loved

I knew it looked like I was the kid who had it all I drove a new car, wore nice clothes, and I always had ht-of by my teachers and peers alike