Chapter 31
Austin blinked. ‘What?’ ‘You told the guard you had my inhaler.’ Leo said. ‘But I do not have asthma.’ So that was a lie, right? Just like the training camp was a lie. Austin’s mouth opened and closed. He looked at me for help. He wanted me to smooth it over. He wanted me to tell the lie for him. I stayed silent.
Dad. Austin turned back to me, his voice cracking. Please, I am your son. Doesn’t that mean anything? You always taught me that family sticks together. You said we protect our own. I did teach you that. I said I taught you that a man protects his family. But you are not the protector, Austin. You are the threat.
I walked to the port hole and looked out at the darkness again. Do you know what I found in the fridge? I asked without turning around. Austin did not answer. I found steak. I found shrimp. I found a cake that said, ‘Happy vacation.’ I turned to face him. ‘You locked a hungry child in a house with a cake she could see but could not touch.
That is not just neglect, Austin. That is torture. That is something a sadist does.’ ‘It was Monica.’ Austin blubbered. ‘She has this thing about weight. She says, ‘Mia is getting heavy.’ She says, ‘You are a coward.’ I cut him off. You are a coward who hides behind his wife’s cruelty because it is easier than being a man.
You let her starve your daughter because you didn’t want to have an argument. You let her steal my money because you were too scared to tell her you were broke. I took a step closer to him. And now you are here not to apologize to Mia, but to beg me to save your job. You are afraid of losing your title.
You are afraid of the neighbors finding out you are not the big shot banker you pretend to be. You are afraid of being poor. I leaned in until I could smell the fear on him. Well, get used to it, son, because poor is exactly what you are going to be. Austin’s face crumbled. He fell to his knees.
He actually knelt on the carpet of the cabin, grasping at my pants leg. Dad, please. I will do anything. I will go to therapy. I will pay you back. Just don’t let them file the charges. Tell the captain it was a mistake. Tell him I am a good father. I looked down at him. I remembered the day he was born.