He sighed, and I noticed that he looked weary. Guess trying to keep up with a woman that’s more your daughter’s age than your own would do that to a guy.
“Please try to get along with Alex, Brianna. She means the world to me.”
Those words hit hard, but I pushed them to the back of my mind. It did me no good to think about the low blows my father delivered whenever he saw me. I don’t think he even realized he was doing it. Daughters could be discarded, newly married assistants meant the world. Well fuck you, Daddy.
“So, what brings you here, Brianna? Because although it’s lovely to see you and I’d like to spend time with you, you don’t usually visit without some ulterior motive, so what is it this time?”
Nice, father. The fact was if he was determined to paint me as a selfish bitch, it made me act like one. Why fucking disappoint him? I’d take his money. He was a fucking useless father, I might as well get some advantages out of him.
“My mom and Roger are wanting some alone time. I thought it would be nice to visit my father. Obviously I didn’t know you’d gotten married, and I’d be just as unwelcome here as I’m becoming at Roger’s. It’s no big deal. I’ll hit up some friends and go party. There’s always a hotel.”
My father sighed and looked at me. “You can stay here until you need to be back for the wedding. I’m sure your mother would appreciate your help in getting things arranged.”
I shook my head, “No, she has a planner for all that. All I need to do is be there two days before the wedding now for my final fitting of my bridesmaid’s dress.”
“Well, you have a room here until then.”
A room here. Yes, that summed up how close I was to my father. I had a guest room. A temporary space until it was time to go back to my mother. No permanent bedroom, no second home. Asshole.
“So how long were you hooking up with the assistant before making it official?” I asked him.
“I’m not going to enter into this conversation with you, Brianna. I feel you’re just looking for trouble. Now why don’t you go freshen up and I’ll take you to dinner?”
Wow. He actually wanted to spend some time with me, one on one? It was a freaking miracle.
“Alex is at hers, arranging for some of her belongings to be brought across. She’ll ring me when she’s home and then I’ll come back to help her settle in. If you could stay in your room, then it would be appreciated. It’s going to be strange enough for Alex, being in a new home, without you antagonizing her.”
“Do you know what, Daddy.” I emphasized the word Daddy to demonstrate he didn’t deserve the title. “I think I’ll just head on up to my room, right now and skip the dinner, thanks. You hang around and wait for the little wifey to call. I wouldn’t want being your daughter to get in the way of the newlyweds.”
“Oh grow up, Brianna.” He said. “The world doesn’t revolve around you, we all need to get along while we’re under the same roof.”
I turned so he couldn’t see my face and began the walk to my room.
“Yeah, Dad. Go screw yourself.” I put sass in my step to walk away from him. Rage built inside of me. I needed to get to my room before I picked up and smashed every fucking vase and object within reach.
In the guest room I laid on the bed and looked around. It was well decorated, with an interior designer’s touch, but there was nothing personal here. It wasn’t my room. Dad had moved here after the divorce but I’d never been given a room of my own. When I’d asked him he’d said it would be dumb when I barely spent any time here. I’d wanted to scream at him. The reason I spent no time here was because he was an asshat.
Things had gone wrong as my parents marriage had drawn to a close. All they did was fight. My mom had always to my knowledge, thrown lots of parties and I adored it. She spoiled me, dressed me like a princess and introduced me to princes, movie stars, world famous opera singers. So many different people. Then she’d started being invited to parties and social events outside of Manhattan and left me behind while she traveled, saying she was too busy to watch over me the whole time. I tried to get my father to join in with what made me happy, ‘Daddy take me shopping’, ‘Daddy let’s throw our own party,’ but instead he told me to find things to do. That life wasn’t built around parties, but around hard work. And that’s what he mainly did. He went to work, leaving me at home with the staff he employed. I resented him for it and acted up. It became a mission to make the staff cry, or get them to refuse to look after me, so then my father had to return home. He might have sat with me while still working, berating me for my behavior, but at least I had his attention, his company.
When Mom returned, she’d be full of stories about where she’d been and she’d bring me presents, each more elaborate than the last, and then she’d take me shopping, to spoil me for her having been away.
Until they separated and got divorced, that was my life: shopping and presents with Mom and begrudged time from my father. When they were both home, it was like I was invisible while they fought constantly. I’d hear Mom accuse Dad of being married to work and Dad accuse Mom of being married to social climbing.
Then we were gone. Mom packed our things, and we moved to Bel Air, living with the first of her many suitors. If I wanted my mom’s attention, I asked her to go shopping. Eventually she just gave me my own acc
ount and unlimited funds. I had everything my heart desired and if I felt a gap in my life, a new Chanel purse would fill that void for a while.
Visits with Dad just became about drama and accusations about my mom having spoiled me. That I was a brat. Yes I was. But not only because of Mom. But because of both of them and because why the fuck not? Being a brat was better than being nothing at all.
But now both my parents seemed genuinely happy with their new partners. Now they didn’t seem to need me at all. So it was supposedly time for me to crawl away somewhere and get my own place. But I had a feeling if I did that, they’d forget I existed. Whereas if I rained holy hell down on their lives, I’d be able to stick around.
So they left me with no choice.
Anyway, Brianna the Brat was what they expected.
I would hate to disappoint.
I kept to myself for the next few days. My chance to wreak havoc was best left for their secret wedding reception. Alex kept asking me if I was okay. I resented that bitch, acting like she fucking owned this place. I’d been around far longer than she had. They’d all get what was coming to them. And then sooner, rather than later, me and Mom would be back together and everything would be as it was.