When the truth comes out

A/n I'm not sure where I'm going with this but it's the new beginning to the first part. I just wrote it. 

Haley’s Pov

Someone knocks on the door. Three firm knocks. I know I have to answer. So I do, and find myself face to face with my father. A smug grin makes its way onto my face.

“Hello Mr. Mathews. Back so soon? I’m sorry but Mr. Clark is out for the day. I’m afraid you wasted your time coming out here. Would you like me to write a message for him?

His lips tighten to a straight line.

“No thank you, I’m not here to see Daniel. I’m here to see you Haley.

He pulls a white envelope out from inside his expensive suit jacket. It has been rumpled up, and clearly said “sent back” in big bold red letters. My heart drops, and I want to slap myself. I thought this would have been easy. This should have been easy. I try to keep my game face.

“And what can I do for you Mr. Mathews?”

“You can tell me why this got sent back to my office.”

I shrug and casually step away.

“Hmm I don’t know. What is that?”

He takes a step into the house, and I feel my heart speed up a little bit. I don’t lose myself though. Stay strong Haley.

“Haley, don’t play games with me. You know what it is. It’s your monthly check, but for some reason it was sent back to my office, and I want to know why.”

I shrug my shoulders and take more steps away from him. I try to distance myself from the situation. Maybe if I leave he’ll leave too, and take his money with him. I pretend to yawn.

“I don’t need it.” I say keeping a slow steady pace towards the kitchen. Maybe if he thinks I’m busy he’ll leave.

“Don’t need it?”

He gives out an amused chuckle, although looking at him I can see it never reached his eyes. My father is in fact not amused.

“We both know that’s a lie. You’re just a maid, you obviously need it.”

He gestures to the house with his hands as he says that, and I can feel anger start to slowly build up in me. I lose myself a little.

“First of all Mr. Clark pays me just fine. Second of all you work with him so I wouldn’t go insulting his home. Third fine you got me, let’s say I do need it. Even if I did. I don’t want it.”

“I didn’t give you the option to not want it little lady. I’m telling you to take it. Don’t start this now Haley you’ve been accepting these checks for 16 years now. I want to know why you all of a sudden declined it.”

I shudder and hope to God he didn’t see. I stop walking once I reach the counters of the kitchen. My body slightly fills with panic as I take in that only an island separates us two. There is no where else togo. I turn my back to him, and place my hand on the cool granite countertop. Taking a deep breath I try again.

“I don’t want it.”

I hear him slam his fist on the counter, and I slightly jump.

“God dammit Haley. I did not kill your mother.”

A cold shiver runs up my spine, and once again I face him. His eyes were full of anger. Warning me not to deny what he said. I stand there frozen unsure if I should be the one to speak again. He sighs.

“Come on Haley I’m not stupid. I know that’s why you’re doing this. We’ve been beating around the bush for years now. It’s time to come out with it. You blame me, but you’re wrong. I did not kill your mother.”

He unclenches his hand, but keeps it on the counter. For some reason he seems relaxed or something. I don’t know where to pinpoint it, but he does. His shoulders are relaxed at least. But nothing else gives off the sign of relaxation. His face was just an emotionless mask of nothing. I didn’t know what to say. I took a deep breathe, and before I knew it words finally came out.

“You’re right dad, I can’t blame you for the death of my mom. Her life was messed up long before you came into it. You aren’t responsible for her actions.”

I pause. I take another deep breath.

“But I can blame you for Emily's death.”

I see his hand fall, and the pain in his eyes were clear. But there was no going back now.

“You remember, right dad? The most we ate that week was a piece of toast.”

A tear slides down my cheek, and my voice goes to a soft whisper.

“She was so sick. I came to you. Don’t you remember? I do, dad. I remember how you brushed me off. I remember, and I always will remember because Emily died in my arms that night.

“Haley…”

I angrily wipe the tears. He wanted me to talk, I was going to talk.

“No, I am not done. She died dad. She died when she didn’t have to. And then mom died, a week later, because she couldn’t live with the guilt. She couldn’t live knowing she bought drugs instead of food for her own daughters. So she killed herself. Do you want to know who was there for that? I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t you. In the same two weeks I had to hold my mother and my sister while they died.”

I look my father in the eyes and scream.

“WHERE WERE YOU DAD? I didn’t see you at the funeral. In fact yesterday and today have been the most I’ve seen and spoken to you in 17 years. That was only because you had a meeting with the person that just happens to employ me. Otherwise you would have just sent…”

I point to the envelope in his left hand.

“Those stupid checks, and once a year have lunch with me to “catch up”. But even those so called lunches don’t last long because you have an excuse to leave after only a few minutes every time.”

“Haley,stop”

“NO! Dad I was only 10 when they died, and I have been keeping this in for 17 years.”

I start to shake with anger.

“You are going to listen to me! You only came into my life to buy me off for their death. Face it, I’m not stupid. You won’t even let me call you dad in public, cause you are too ashamed. Because you don’t want people to find out you are the father of a useless maid. You don’t want people to know you are, no where the husband of a druggie that killed herself. Cause dad let’s face it that’s all mom was to you.”

I clench my fists and muster all the strength I had.

“And lastly you don’t want people to know you are a shitty father that abandoned his daughters and let his child die. No, because if the public knew that. Your career would be over. And we both know your career is way more important than me, mom, and Emily.”

I actually start to laugh, and I see confusion lase his eyes.

“So there, you wanted to know why I stopped accepting your money. I can’t do it anymore dad. I can’t keep pretending we are just friends, when ever people are around us. I can’t even be in the same room as you. You are nothing but the monster that let my family die.”

I point at the door.

“ I want you to leave, and never come back.”

I look at his face hoping to see something, anything to know my words affected him in any way. But there was nothing now. It was a hard emotionless mask of nothing.

“Very well then,” he spoke.

“Have it your way.”

And with that he smoothly turned around and left.

I clasped my hands over my mouth, and let out a strained sob when I heard the door close. Relief, disappointment, and pure heartbreak filled my body as my legs grew weak and I fell to the floor.