I couldn't respond to what my father said. I knew he was waiting for an answer, so after a while, I took a deep breath and answered quietly, even though I knew he couldn't see me. "O-Okay, Father. I'll tell Augustus about this."
"Good. And I expect to see you both by tomorrow or the next day." He hung up on me without even waiting for me to say goodbye, or saying goodbye himself.
I just stood there, staring blankly into space, thinking about what had happened earlier. I looked into the kitchen and saw Augustus still with Veronica, and he wasn't doing anything to push her away. It felt like he was trapped in a situation where, if he tried to pull away or do something, she would threaten or manipulate him, destroying his life, especially if he left her.
I was also scared for my family bec
