PHILIP POV
My father's hurtful words still remained with me, painful reminders of his instilled self-doubt-a constant echo that reverberated within my mind and lingered in the core of my being, as if to ask myself over and over: Am I worthless? His voice, a haunting presence, spoke to me in my head, "You're worthless, you'll never amount to anything," and continued to fuel an inner simmering hard-core anger and resentment.
Maria's words then cut through my thoughts, carrying the impaling quality of a knife to the soul because of their condescending tone. "It's seriously amazing, Philip, how a maid's son will come and take over you, a notion that is almost laughable yet somehow threatens to become a reality," she said.
Her laughter was like fingernails on a chalkboard, grating against m
