"What did you say to my wife and daughter! Get out—get out right now! Our family doesn't welcome you! And we don't welcome that bastard you gave birth to either!"
In that instant, I remembered being little. Dad hoisting me onto his shoulders.
"Daddy, will you always be good to Alex? What happens when I grow up? I won't get to ride the airplane anymore!"
Dad laughed and spun in circles.
"Then we'll let our princess's little princess have a turn. By then, Daddy will try to age a little slower."
The memory shattered, replaced by Mom and Dad's twisted faces.
I clutched my wailing son tight.
"Fine. I'll go. But after today, I'm never coming back."
Dad picked up a rock and hurled it at my back.
"Who cares if you come back! Don't let me see your face for the rest of my life! Vivian is my daughter. You're nothing but an ungrateful wolf I could never warm up!"
The rock's edge tore through fabric and into skin. Blood seeped through.
I clenched my teeth and walked out of their sight.
Once I left the complex, I took a cab straight to a real estate agency.
I slapped the deed onto the table.
"Sell this house. Price doesn't matter. Make it fast."