Β©Novel Buddy
Switch: Alien Invasion/Violence&S*x-Chapter 144: The return of the prodigal father
"Well, I for one think it would be a good idea for us all to see our families before the demons arrive." ππ«πππ¨ππ―ππ πππ.ππΌπ
The look Stephanie gives me could have melted Antarctica with its loving warmth. She does not want to be the one to abandon the work up here.
Loveth and I are the last to be dropped off, and we are surprised to see our fatherβs car in the driveway. We give each other a significant look before I send out my awareness and locate our fatherβs switches.
"Why do you think he is here?" Loveth asks me.
"To get his ass kicked again," I reply with more confidence than I feel. I am not worried about handling my old man, but Mom is not aware of what I did to him, and I do not want that coming out.
Loveth walks right in without knocking, and I follow on her heels, expecting to hear shouting or fighting.
Instead, we find our parents sitting at the kitchen table, chatting amiably.
Dad sees us first, and I watch as his face drains of color. This does not go unnoticed by our mother, and when she turns to face us, I gasp.
She looks twenty years younger, and while she had never been anything close to unattractive, she could almost give Loveth a run for her money. In fact, Mom now looks more like my older sister, almost a twin to Loveth, than she does a mother.
"Nick, Loveth," she says excitedly as she spots us. "I was not expecting you here. Nick, shouldnβt you be in school?"
She is talking fast, and her cheeks are slightly flushed. I also notice that she is carefully not looking at Dad.
"I had a day off," I lie easily, still trying to figure out what is going on.
"And why arenβt you at work, Loveth?" Mom asks, almost stepping on the end of my sentence.
"Gee, Mom," Loveth says sweetly, "if I didnβt know better, I would almost think you didnβt want us here."
Momβs eyes grow wide, and her mouth moves soundlessly for a moment. Oddly, it is Dad who comes to her rescue.
"Is that how you talk to your mother, young lady?" His mouth is set hard as if he is angry, but it is spoiled by the look of fear in his eyes.
"The real question, Dad," I say, "is why are you here?"
The older man flinches at my words and takes a step back, then squares his shoulders and glares at me. "Perhaps I should mention our last meeting?" He thinks he has made a point, but when I smile back, his look of triumph turns uncertain.
"You mean when we found you with your secretary and told you to never come back?" Loveth replies, and this time it is Mom who gets angry.
"Now listen," she starts toward us, "he came and apologized for his behavior. I have decided to give him another chance."
"Oh, he did, did he?" I ask, raising an eyebrow and looking back at the man in question. I take a step toward him, brushing the back of my hand against Lovethβs and simultaneously flipping the honesty switch in my old man. "I would like to hear him say it to all of us. I love you, Mom, but you are not the only one he hurt."
I remember all the days of living in fear under his roof and doing what I could to stay out of his way. If he can truly say he is sorry, then maybe I will be willing to listen.
Loveth notices what I have done, and I see her smile maliciously. She has more reason to despise him than I do. My father never molested me.
We both watch as he swallows hard, then steps forward and places his hand possessively on Momβs shoulder before she can say anything else.
"I realize I have made mistakes," he begins, and with his honesty switch flipped, I know he cannot lie, "and I came back here to see if I could swindle some of my money back." He stops in horror as the words sink in. Mom turns to glare at him, and he takes a step back. "No, wait. That is not what I meant to say. I wanted to get back on your good side. You meant something to me once, and..." He chokes for a moment before continuing. "And you look so good now, I figured I would see if I could knock off a piece of that before I go back to my girlfriend."
With comic horror, he covers his mouth with both hands as his eyes dart between each of us.
It is not until I am standing next to a very angry Mom that I realize Loveth and I have begun advancing on our stumbling father.
His eyes lock on mine, and I see a flicker of determination try to creep out. Pointing a finger at his two kids, he shouts, "Sheβs been trying to sleep with Nick for years, and I wouldnβt be surprised if youβve alreadyβ"
"They have been," Momβs voice comes out as barely a whisper, but by the way Dadβs jaw drops, he clearly hears her. "And whatβs more, so have I." As Mom speaks, her voice grows firmer, rising slightly in volume until she is nearly yelling. "And the best part is, your son is a better lover, and your daughter is tenderer than you ever were!"
The smile splitting my lips grows bigger in proportion to Fatherβs incredulity.
"Did I ever tell you, Mom, about when Dad would slip into my room when I was a teenager and make me uncomfortable?" Tina says, and I see the anger in Mom double.
"Is that true?" she asks him. Sheβs no longer yelling, but somehow her voice sounds infinitely more dangerous.
He opens his mouth, then clamps it shut, terror in his eyes as the honesty switch forces him to confront himself.
"Youβll be hearing from my lawyers," Mom says, and this time she sounds almost sad.
ββββββ
One extra Chapter as I promised. Thanks to Claud_Mace for the massage chair πβ€οΈ, and a big thank you to Zook_51 for the golden tickets and support π«°π₯°β£οΈ!







