Chapter 3

"Do you think you're a big deal just because you're an accountant? You need to help others when I tell you to! What was with all that crap?" Dad shouted while pointing at me.

"Do you know how hard it is for me to keep a good relationship with others? You ruined everything with a single sentence! I already promised Mr. Lawson I would help him. You have to tidy those accounts for him!"

I held my head high. "I won't do it. Anyone else who's interested can take it on! He wants me to falsify his accounts. I'll get arrested if the authorities find out!"

"Do you think it's that easy for them to catch you? You're just lazy!" Dad rolled up his sleeves and raised a hand, wanting to hit me again.

Just then, someone opened the front door, and Mom and Sean came in. I ran to them and hid behind Mom, but she pushed me forward when she saw how menacing Dad looked.

"Just let him hit you since you've pissed him off again. Don't drag me into this!"

Mom and Sean would always stay out of Dad's hair whenever he hit me. That was how things had been since I'd been a child. They were deathly afraid he would vent his anger on them, too. It was rather disheartening for me.

After hearing that Dad wanted to hit me because I'd refused to falsify Mr. Lawson's accounts, Sean frowned. "You're being insensible, Natalie. All you need to do is falsify accounts, not kill yourself. You deserve a beating for embarrassing Dad in front of his friend."

Mom chimed in. "Exactly. Don't tell me you don't know what to do. We're both accountants—I know what you're capable of."

Her words reminded me of something. Dad was already retired, but Mom wasn't. She even wanted to delay her retirement for a couple of years.

She worked as an accountant at a state-owned company. The benefits there were good, and her pay was high. She'd done everything she could to also get Sean a job there after he'd graduated.

Meanwhile, after I'd graduated and passed the interview for a job there, she'd pulled some strings to remove me from the list of successful applicants. She'd been worried I would join her department, which would lead to her being unable to delay her retirement.

I clenched my fists at the thought of that. I turned to Dad, immediately softening my attitude. "I'm sorry, Dad. I shouldn't have said those things with someone else around. I do know how to falsify the accounts, but I don't think I'm experienced enough for that.

"I'm worried I'll mess things up if I take on the job. Mom is more experienced than I am. How about you ask her to do it?"

Dad turned to look at Mom at my words. She rolled her eyes at me before saying, "I've been pretty busy at work lately, Jim. The accounts—"

He cut her off. "Nat is right. She's inexperienced, so you should do it."

Mom wanted to say something else but swallowed her words when he glared at her. He not only forced her to falsify the accounts but also made her do them overnight.

She stayed up all night and sighed while working in the living room. She didn't know how to use a computer to do the work, so she only had a calculator to rely on.

I slept soundly throughout the night and woke up the next day for work, feeling refreshed.

Before leaving the house, Mom glowered at me. One look at the accounts yesterday had told me that they weren't just a mess. Mom would definitely end up in jail if she were to cover things up and get found out by the authorities.

That was none of my business, though.

…

I went out that weekend. It was much too scary at home—I wanted to find an opportunity to move out. I returned home after a day of viewing listings and lay on my bed, trying to decide which was the best.

When I looked at my bookshelf, I saw that a series of treasured novels I'd placed there were gone. They were a collector's edition and a gift my late friend had given me. I'd wrapped them up to preserve them.

My mind went blank. Then, I rushed to the living room. "Where are my collector's edition novels, Dad?"

He jumped at my voice but soon regained his composure. "I gave them to someone."

I snarled, "Who?"

"What does it matter to you?"

My blood boiled. "Who the heck did you give them to?"

"Mr. Lawson." He gave me an icy look. "You should be glad he liked them. Otherwise, you would've thoroughly offended him."

"He could've been raging mad for all I care. He's not anyone to me, so what does it matter if I've pissed him off? Those books were something my late friend left for me! Did you think about how I would feel after giving them away?" My tears fell at that. The grievances I'd suffered in both lifetimes overwhelmed me.

Dad was taken aback for a moment. Then, he stood up and raised a hand to hit me. "What the heck! Are you saying my pride is worth less than a bunch of dumb books? You can just buy them again! It's not like they've gone out of print! You've been really rebellious lately. I have to teach you a lesson!"

I couldn't take it anymore. I charged to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, swinging it in the air. "Fine, then. I'll kill you if you don't teach me a lesson! One of us has to die today!"

Sean held me from behind and snatched the knife from me. "Have you lost your mind, Natalie? How could you swing a knife at Dad? You know what he's like—you only have yourself to blame for not keeping your things safe!"

I looked at him. Since childhood, he'd always been the type to make snide remarks when I was being mistreated. There he was, defending Dad just because I'd brandished a knife.

This family was rotten to the core.

Sean frowned at the look in my eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that? You're the one in the wrong here! Why do you have to make such a big deal out of a bunch of books? Dad only likes giving things to others because it'll benefit us. It'll benefit our family!"

I sneered. "You're only saying this because your things aren't the ones being given away."

He said magnanimously, "I wouldn't say a word even if he were to give my things away."

Just then, Mom let out a piercing scream from the bedroom. She ran out with her savings passbook. "Where's my money? It's gone!" She looked crazed.

Sean asked, "What money?"

She answered in despair, "The money to buy your car and pay for your wedding."