Telling Dad the Truth
“Ella, honey, what’s going on?” Her dad sounded concerned. Ella’s natural instinct was to try to blow it off, to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal, so he wouldn’t be so upset. But that wouldn’t help her situation any either. She needed to be honest with him.
“Listen, Dad, I haven’t said anything to you because Teresa said she’d call her friends at Pleasant Hills and have me taken away. I also didn’t want to upset you. But, yes, I’ve been living in the attic. She lets me out to use the bathroom a few times a day and also for dinner--usually. The only time I’ve been allowed to leave the house is when Tim insisted I go to his mom’s birthday party Friday night. Other than that, I’m not allowed to.”
“Not allowed to? Ella, you’re twenty-two years old. You’ve lived in France with just your aunt since you were a little girl. Why wouldn’t you be allowed to go out?”
“Teresa said LA would ‘chew me up and spit me out.’ She said I’d never be able to handle it. At first, I was intimidated, Dad, I was afraid she was right. I look nothing like the beautiful blonde girls around here, like Anna and Drew. Teresa said I was ugly, that I would be laughed at and made fun of and embarrass you and the rest of the family. I believed her, Dad. So I stayed put. Besides, I love working for you. I enjoyed doing my job. But when I went out with Tim the other night, I realized that I can handle LA, that I’m not going to be made fun of for what I look like, and with Tim’s help, I’m not going to end up locked behind a cell door in an insane asylum either.”
He was quiet, and she took a deep breath, praying he believed her. It sounded so ridiculous coming out of her mouth, she couldn’t blame him if he didn’t. Eventually, he said, “What about your car? Where is the car I bought you for your birthday last month?”
“Car?” Ella echoed, feeling the color drain from her face. “What car?”
“You know, the Audi I bought you. I wanted you to be able to get around town. I’m so confused, Ella. You wrote to me and said that you were having so much fun with all of your new friends, shopping and visiting all the restaurants.”
“Dad, I never got a car, and I never wrote that to you. You know I would’ve called you if I could have, right? If you gave me a car for my birthday, I would’ve phoned you right away to thank you. But every time I got a phone, usually from Tim, Teresa would take it. You got me a car? She said all you sent was a card.”
A loud sigh filled her ear as Lloyd processed what she’d just said. “Have you gotten anything else I’ve sent you? The clothes? The earrings? That cute stuffed poodle? Thank God it wasn’t a real poodle.”
“No, Dad. She said you didn’t send weekly presents anymore.”
“I sent a weekly present to all four of my girls every damn Friday!” He had lost his temper now, and she heard his fist crash down, probably against a nightstand. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m not mad at you. Can I speak to Tim again, please?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you, dear. Don’t you worry about this. We’ll sort it all out. I love you, Ella Bear.”
“I love you, too, Dad.”
She handed the phone back to Tim, but all she could think about was how angry he’d sounded. She knew, when she told him about Rome, he’d be mad about that, too. Probably even angrier….
She did her best to listen to both sides of the conversation. Tim was saying he didn’t know the details, that he’d just found out, too, and of course, Ella was welcome to stay with him for as long as it took. She wondered what would happen when her dad confronted Teresa and how her evil stepmother would try to get out of this predicament.
“All right. Thanks. Bye.” Tim hung up and looked at her for a few seconds. “I’m proud of you for telling him the truth, Ella. Don’t worry. It’ll be okay.” He placed his hand on her shoulder and conjured up a smile.
She wanted to believe him, but on the inside, she felt like a lost little girl. Tim shifted into drive and headed toward his apartment, and Ella concentrated on breathing. Now that she had her freedom, the only other thing she longed for was Rome. The gifts her dad had sent sounded nice--but what was most important was finding a way to be with the man she loved--and finding a way to do it without her dad ever sounding like that again.
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