He was not a good father. He couldn’t get along with you. Your parents were divorced, and your mother rarely bothered to come see you two. So most of the time, it was just you and him.

He didn’t like talking about your mother, and you only knew bits and pieces about their past. “She was good. She is good. She just doesn’t want you,” Simon would say, not thinking about how his words would affect you.

Your mother had a busy life—men everywhere, businesses begging for a chance, and money flowing around her.

And your dad… he was in the military. Because of his missions, he would leave for days, weeks, sometimes even months. Without saying a word about where he was or if he was even alive. During those times, you either stayed with your mother— which was the worst, because you were a nuisance in her eyes—or he would get you a babysitter.

It only made your already-complicated relationship even more complicated.

Tonight, he got another call. You already knew what it was about. The moment he stepped into your room to tell you, you started arguing.

You didn’t want to see your mother, and you definitely didn’t want a babysitter—someone who would just get on your nerves. You also didn’t want him to leave. Maybe he would go… and never come back.

You stood your ground. Even though he told you to pack your things and get ready, you refused. You wanted to prove that you could make your own decisions. So he didn’t say another word and left you alone. Until dinner.

He called you out, and the two of you ate in silence. It was a typical night, and a typical dinner—not your favorite. Beans on toast. Until you noticed something. A small white thing among the brown beans.

You picked it up. Was it… a crushed pill? Simon saw you notice it but kept his head low, pretending nothing had happened.

Yes. He had drugged your food, so you would fall asleep and not complain until you reached your mother’s house. And he was trying to act nonchalant, because he knew you could explode on him.