Chapter 3: Letting Go (Sort Of)

“No way!”

Natalie’s shriek and the pop-up comments hit at once. The living room seemed to shrink, her panic vibrating through the air.

“Dad, just give me the money today. What if I don’t want to study anymore in a few days?” Her grip on my arm tightened, her voice frantic. Her phone buzzed in her pocket—she was itching to text someone, probably that boyfriend.

The comments scrolled fast, full of confusion:

[What’s going on? In her last life, the heroine’s dad forced her to study. Why is he like this now?]

[Is he just cheap? Is this really her biological dad? How can he treat his own daughter like this?]

I let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, if I give you the money now and you change your mind in a few days, wouldn’t I just be throwing it away? Why don’t you go for a walk these next few days, calm down, and think it over.” I tried to sound reasonable, but my chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.

Natalie stared at me in disbelief. “You’re letting me go out?”

Lately, because she kept threatening to run off to Florida with that punk, I’d basically kept her locked down at home, forbidding her from going anywhere. It had been a lockdown, my only way to keep her from catching a Greyhound south.

That’s why things between us had gotten so toxic. Every day, as soon as she saw me, she’d throw curses my way, wishing me the worst.

The daughter I’d raised with so much effort—every word from her felt like poison. She even said if I died, she’d scatter my ashes in a public restroom, just to get back at me for keeping her from her boyfriend.

Back then, I figured it was all just angry talk. But now, with Natalie’s character, I realized she might actually go through with it. I thought about my mom’s urn, tucked safely away—she’d never have believed it.

If she’s really the kind of ungrateful kid who’d hurt her dad for love, in this life or the last—

Then maybe I’d be better off without a daughter like this. It was a hard thing to accept, but somehow, it made me feel lighter. Maybe giving up is its own kind of freedom.

The moment she realized she could go out, Natalie’s eyes lit up. She dashed to her room, then hurried out with her purse bulging at her side.

[Oh my, our girl just grabbed all the cash and birthday money she’d saved. She must be going to help her boyfriend.]

[Ugh, my heart. These two are making me root for them even when I know it’s a bad idea.]

I watched her disappear down the block, then grabbed my car keys and headed out for a long drive. Sometimes, all you can do is keep moving and hope your thoughts settle.