He was seated at the head of the table dressed in a business suit looking every bit like the predator he was. People feared him, and they had every reason to. His exterior was so well put together, with his dark brown hair perfectly combed, his angular face freshly shaven, and his physically intimidating stature. He was designed to lure people in with all those things, and when they were trapped, he took full advantage.
My stepmother sat to his left, dressed in her usual designer digs, her blonde hair extensions perfectly curled, and her perfectly plastic boobs in the air. Her make-up was caked on, and it immediately made my think of the girls on that show Jade loved. What was it called? Oh yes, Jerseylicious.
“Anthony.”
I called my father by his real name because to me he’d never been anyone else. I sure as hell couldn’t call him ‘dad’, and calling him ‘father’ meant I had to acknowledge that I was his offspring. So I stuck to ‘Anthony’.
“Thank you for coming,” he said, gesturing for me to sit down. “Don’t you greet your stepmother anymore?”
I took a seat opposite the wicked witch herself, and gave her the same bored expression she was giving me. “Shelly.”
“Kennedy, so nice to see you.”
Liar. It was no wonder my father married her. If her blowjobs were anything like her acting then it finally made sense.
Lucy came in, and deposited a roast chicken in the center of the over-decorated table, and left to bring the rice, and steamed vegetables. Whatever my father had to discuss must’ve been important if he’d asked Lucy to make such a meal, especially considering Lucy was the only one who ever ate at home. My father preferred eating out, as did Shelly.
“Thank you, Lucy. You may leave us now.”
I ground my teeth together at his dismissive tone, but refrained from talking. The sooner I got this over with, the better.
“I’m sure you must be curious as to why we’ve asked you here.” My father smiled as Shelly put food on his plate. He’d never smiled at me. Not once.
Shelly dished up for herself, eyeing me across the table. I didn’t touch the food. I was too keyed up to eat, not to mention that I hadn’t planned on staying here long enough to eat anyway.
Neither of them said anything for a beat, and then my father broke the awkward silence. “Do you want to tell her, sweetheart?” His eyes were fixed on his wife.
“Are you sure? I think it would be better if it came from you darling.”
The only thing more sickening than her squeaky voice was her term of endearment for the man sitting next to me.
“No, honey,” he chuckled ruefully. “I think you should be the one to tell Kennedy our news.”
“Well okay then.” Shelly dropped her cutlery, and turned her fake grin up a notch as our eyes met. “We’re pregnant.”
I stared at her, my mind trying to comprehend the bombshell she’d just dropped. My mouth was dry, and I couldn’t get my voice to form a single word.
“Isn’t it great,” Shelly gushed, not fazed at my inability to respond. She placed a hand on her stomach, and smiled at my father. Surprisingly, he looked…happy?
No.
Words.
I had nothing.
So I stared at them like a complete fool.
“We’ve already cleared out Charlie’s room for a nursery,” my father said. “It’s too early to tell, but knowing my luck, it’s a boy.”
Shelly giggled, and I was finally able to grasp what my father had just said. The mention of my brother was enough to knock the wind out of me.
“Wait, what did you just say?” My voice came out louder than I’d intended.
“I said I think it’s a boy,” my father replied, looking annoyed that I’d even asked.
“No, before that.”
Shelly huffed. “Honestly, Kennedy. You’d think with all the money your father pays for you tuition you’d at least have learned how to listen with both ears.”
I balked at that. My father didn’t pay for my tuition. He had no idea how I was paying for school, and I had no doubt that if he knew he’d be pissed. Still, he didn’t bother correcting stepmommy dearest.
“We’ve cleared out Charlie’s room, and we’re going to use it as a nursery. Your bedroom is already a guest bedroom,” my father said.
My heart pounded painfully in my chest. “You got rid of his stuff?”
Growing up, Charlie had always been my fathers’ favorite, and now I couldn’t bear the thought of my father wiping away his memory like he’d never even existed. There were many things I would tolerate from my father, but having him disregard Charlie so bluntly wasn’t one of them. It was a slice to my already battered heart.