Chapter 5

Tris walked through the front door of her house, exhausted from a long day. She was looking forward to a quiet night at home, but as she entered the living room, she was surprised to see her grandmother, Gwen, sitting on the couch, looking worried.

"Hey, kiddo," Gwen said, getting up from the couch and walking over to Tris. "I've been waiting up for you. What's going on? You're usually in bed by now."

Tris shrugged, trying to brush off her grandmother's concern. "I just had a lot on my mind, that's all."

But before Gwen could respond, a figure emerged from Tris's bedroom. It was her father, Ed, and he was smiling at her like he owned the place.

"Hey, sweetie," Ed said, opening his arms to hug Tris.

But Tris was having none of it. She dodged his hug and took a step back, her eyes flashing with anger.

"What are you doing here?" Tris demanded, her voice low and even.

Ed chuckled, like he thought Tris was just joking around. "Oh, come on, kiddo. I just wanted to check in on you. See how you're doing."

But Tris was not buying it. She knew that her father had ulterior motives for showing up unannounced.

"Just leave, Dad," Tris said, her voice firm. "I don't want you here."

Ed raised an eyebrow, like he was surprised by Tris's reaction. "Oh, so you think you can just get rid of me like that? I don't think so, kiddo. I know all about what you've been up to. I know all about Chris, and what you've been doing for him. You think you can keep secrets from me? Think again, Tris."

Tris's eyes widened in shock and anger. "How did you know about Chris?" she demanded, her voice rising.

Ed smiled, a smug look on his face. "I have my ways, kiddo. Let's just say I've been keeping an eye on you. And I'm not happy about what I've seen."

Tris felt a surge of fear and anxiety. She had been careful to keep her relationship with Chris a secret, especially from her father. She had no idea how he had found out.

"What do you want, Dad?" Tris asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Ed's smile grew wider. "I want to help you, kiddo. I want to help you make the right decisions. And I'm not going to let you throw your life away on some boy who's not good enough for you."

Tris felt a wave of anger wash over her. "You have no right to interfere in my life," she said, her voice firm. "I'm an adult, and I can make my own decisions."

Ed chuckled. "Oh, kiddo. You're not an adult. You're just a naive little girl who thinks she knows what's best for her. But I'm here to tell you that you don't. And I'm going to make sure you do what's best for you, even if it means going against your wishes."

Tris felt a chill run down her spine. She knew that her father was capable of doing some pretty terrible things, and she had a feeling that he was going to try to control her life again. She was determined to fight back, but she wasn't sure if she was strong enough.

Ed's eyes seemed to gleam with a knowing glint as he looked at Tris. "I think you're playing with fire, kiddo," he said, his voice low and serious. "Chris and his family... they're not what they seem. But I'm not going to tell you what I know. I want you to figure it out for yourself."

Tris's eyes narrowed, suspicion rising up inside her. What did her father know about Chris and his family? But Ed just smiled and shook his head.

"I'm not going to tell you, Tris. You need to learn to think for yourself and make your own decisions. But I will give you a warning: be careful. You're getting in over your head."

Tris felt a surge of anger and frustration. Why was her father always trying to control her? "I can take care of myself, Dad," she said, her voice firm. "I don't need your help or your warnings."

Ed sighed, his expression sad. "Tris, please. Come back and live with me. I can protect you from all of this. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

But Tris was resolute. "No, Dad. I'm happy living with Gwen. And I'm happy with Chris. We're planning a future together, and I'm not going to let you ruin it for me."

Gwen, who had been watching the exchange with a worried expression, spoke up. "Tris, maybe you should listen to your father. Maybe he's trying to tell you something important."

Tris felt a surge of anger and disappointment. Why was her grandmother taking her father's side? "You're supposed to be on my side, Gwen," Tris said, her voice hurt. "Not Dad's."

Gwen's expression was gentle, but firm. "I'm just trying to help you, Tris. Maybe your father is right. Maybe you should be careful."

Tris shook her head, feeling a sense of frustration and betrayal. She didn't want to hear it. She was convinced that she knew what was best for her, and she was determined to follow her heart, no matter what.

Tris stormed out of the room, leaving Ed and Gwen behind. She couldn't believe that her grandmother was taking her father's side. Didn't Gwen trust her to make her own decisions?

As she walked down the hallway, Tris felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She was so angry and hurt, she didn't know what to do.

She reached her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her, locking it for good measure. She didn't want to talk to anyone right now.

Tris threw herself onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. She felt like she was all alone in the world, like no one understood her.

Just as she was starting to calm down, Tris's phone buzzed with a text from Chris. "Hey, what's going on? You okay?"

Tris smiled, feeling a surge of love and gratitude towards Chris. He was the one person who always understood her, who always knew how to make her feel better.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tris texted back. "Just had a fight with Gwen. She’s being super annoying."

Chris responded immediately. "Sorry to hear that. Want me to come over and distract you?"

Tris hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keyboard as she typed out a response to Chris's text. She wanted to see him, to be with him, but something held her back.

"Hey, I don't think it's a good idea for us to meet up tonight," Tris typed, trying to sound casual. "I'm just really stressed out with my Gwen and stuff."

Chris responded immediately, his text filled with concern. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

Tris sighed, feeling a pang of guilt for not being honest with Chris. She had never told him about her complicated relationship with her father, and she didn't want to burden him with it now.

"It's just family stuff," Tris typed, trying to brush it off. "I'll talk to you about it later, okay?"

Chris seemed to accept her explanation, and they exchanged a few more texts before saying goodnight.

Meanwhile, Chris was sitting in his own bedroom, feeling confused and overwhelmed. His father's words had been echoing in his mind all day, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was trapped.

He thought about his job at the big company, the one he had always dreamed of working for. But even that didn't seem to be enough, not when he had so many debts to pay off.

And then there was Tris. He had promised to marry her, to take care of her and make her happy. But how could he do that when he was still struggling to pay off his own debts?

Chris felt like he was drowning in his responsibilities, and he didn't know how to keep his head above water. He just knew that he had to keep going, no matter what.

Chris sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. He felt like he was stuck in a never-ending cycle of debt and responsibility. He had always thought that getting a good job and making a lot of money would solve all his problems, but now he realized that it wasn't that simple.

He thought about Tris, and how much he loved her. He wanted to give her the world, to make her happy and secure. But how could he do that when he was still struggling to make ends meet?

Chris's phone buzzed, breaking his train of thought. He looked down and saw a text from his father.

"Hey, son. Just wanted to remind you that the bank is calling again. You need to pay off that loan ASAP."

Chris felt a surge of anger and frustration. Why couldn't his father just leave him alone? Didn't he know that Chris was doing the best he could?

But as he looked at the text, Chris felt a pang of guilt. He knew that his father was right. He did need to pay off that loan, and fast. He just wished that he had a way to do it without sacrificing his relationship with Tris.

Chris sighed, feeling trapped and uncertain. He didn't know what to do, or how to get out of this mess. All he knew was that he had to keep going, no matter what.

To be continued…