Chapter 3: Katie's Horrible Act!
1344 Words
I woke up with a start to Katie’s horrible screams late in the morning. But this time, the screams were quite different! Almost like I never heard them before. They were quite peculiar!
Her scream did not contain the harsh or bitter notes anymore! It felt like as if they were replaced with happiness and joy!
Was I in an alternate universe? Why would Katie scream at me with happiness? Was this a prank? Joy was not in Katie’s vocabulary unless money was involved.
“Avery!” I heard again in the same happy scream from downstairs. I rushed out of my bed and ran downstairs, still wearing my pyjamas from last night. I knew at the back of my mind that some form of trouble was awaiting me.
As I placed my toe on the marbled floor with the rest of my body on the staircase, I saw dad and Katie standing together near the window that allowed the early morning sun to shine bright inside.
I noticed that Katie had a letter in her hand all bunched up. She had a glowing smile on her face as she kept starring at my confused face. She looked incredibly happy overall while on the other hand, dad looked very mixed in feelings. He did not seem happy nor sad.
I wonder what had happened?
Just as I was going to approach them myself, Katie noticed me from afar!
She pushed dad aside from the shoulder and ran towards me in such a hurry as if she were close to the finishing line in a marathon!
I looked at her with a confused expression on my face as she stopped in front of me while catching her breath.
After successfully catching her breath, she started waving the letter across my face.
“Katie, what is this? What is going on?” I asked with confused eyes.
As she heard my question, she began laughing! Like really loudly! Each laugh was louder the last.
Was she on something? What was going on?
I looked over at dad who looked pretty depressed at this point with his head lowered towards the floor.
At that point, I was certain something bad was going to happen.
“Oh Avery, this letter right here, is my road to a fortune!” she explained while shoving the letter at my face.
She gave me the letter to read so I took it from her hand and began scanning through the entire thing!
At first, I thought she won the lottery or something, but no! What was written in the letter, was completely different than what I imagined!
I felt like I was struck by an arrow of confusion when I saw that I was accepted to attend an interview for the position of a sales manager with a huge company in the next city.
Mind you, the building that was mentioned in the letter belonged to a powerful, successful billionaire!
“Wh-what…… is this Katie? I never applied for any job!” I demanded for answers.
Instead of answering me, she began laughing again like an absolute maniac! What did she do?
My frustrations were growing as she delayed to answer my questions.
Finally, after a good minute of laughing, she began to disclose information.
“You i***t, ever since we got you in this house, expenses were growing! And neither Frank’s nor your job bought in stacks of cash, so I thought to apply on your behalf to this rich company!” she gave out the entire explanation.
I stood in my spot, shattered and betrayed! How could she do such a thing without even having the decency of informing me?! Did she ever bother to know if I was ok with this or not?
How? What? When? Were the three questions that were floating in front of me.
“How could you do this without even telling me?” I cried.
She began clicking her tongue while holding my chin.
“What’s there to tell you? You got a good education so I sent in your application!” she murmured.
“After all, your stupid job at that restaurant is not doing us any good!” she mocked.
“You can’t do this!” I clapped back! There was no way I was going to accept this! She cannot just force me like that.
“I just did! And you are going to go to this interview, whether you like it or not!” she ordered without even taking my say into the matter.
There was no point in explaining anything to that woman so I rushed towards dad! At least he would stop this madness!
I went over to dad who still looked quite depressed! I guess he too was appalled by Katie’s behaviour and actions.
I was confident that he would not allow me to attend this interview when I told him that I did not wish to appear for the same, but I was wrong. My confidence shattered into millions of pieces right in front of me.
“Ka-Katie is right! You should go! Whether you like it or......not!” he stuttered in a faint voice without even looking at me in the eyes.
After hearing his disturbing statement, I was torn apart!
I felt awful and betrayed by the person whom I trusted with my life over the years! The first person whom I bonded with easily after losing my biological parents. The person who saved me from the witch named Katie.
How could he say this? Was he in his senses? I did not want to work in that company! I was never interested! And to top it off, the job would be in the next city which was far away and that would halt my investigation of my parents’ accident. Also, God knows how they would treat me there.
I was quite happy working in a restaurant here! Though I admit it was not paying a lot, I was happy and content with the job.
How could they force me to do something that I did not want to? I could expect this from Katie but dad? What was going on? I was desperate for answers.
“Dad, please don’t do this!” I begged him while holding the white letter in my hand.
Instead of paying heed to my pleas, he just walked away and left the room silently, leaving Katie and me alone.
Silence draped the room and internally I was fighting a battle with myself.
On one hand, I knew how important getting the money was but what about my parents? Should I sacrifice all my years of arduous work and earn money so that Katie could blow it up in salon appointments?
But I knew dad! He was the most logical person ever! If he acted the way he acted, I was certain that there would be a reason.
As I was lost deep in my thoughts, Katie pinched my shoulder from behind.
I screamed due to the sharp pain and turned towards Katie who had a huge smirk on her face.
“Go and get ready! The interview is today!” she ordered leaving me even more devastated!
Today? So soon? I could not even get the time to make a decision for myself? Or worst, to even prepare myself mentally?
I guess the universe really hates me today.
As Katie happily skipped out of the room, I thought to go and approach dad and ask him about his odd behaviour.
I stood straight, wiped my tears and marched outside. As soon as I approached the backyard where he was watering the plants, he looked at me and placed the watering can on the wet muddy grass.
I went ahead and asked him the question that was bothering me the most.
“Dad, why do you want me to attend this interview?”
I wonder what he was going to say.
- Writer
