Love Thy Neighbor (REMASTERED)

eleven

Probably why everyone calls me bougie and spoiled.

He craved an applause for doing the bare minimum of fatherly duties and wanted me to be grateful for him funding the life I had become comfortable in. Like him taking care of me wasn't his job as a parent. All I ever really wanted was him to participate. Show up and just fucking be there for me.

You can buy me all the expensive shit in the world, spending time with somebody is free and he couldn't even do that. It burned me and quite frankly pissed me off.

ChiChi always liked to joke about how I was picky when it came to my men, but she didn't understand where my standards came from. I fucked up trying to look for qualities in men that I was missing from my father and I ended up in the worst situation.

So when it came down to it, if you were going to put your job or making money over me as a priority? Then it wasn't going to work out.

I'm not saying be a bum and don't get your bag....but there has to be a balance. There has to be room for me to be able to see you and spend time with you.

I don't know how my mom even put up with my dad always working. He was never home growing up.

They only have their "lovey dovey" home now because he retired and his only child moved out.

Spending time with people you care about is important to me, and if a man can't do that with me...then there really isn't shit for us to talk about.

For Ethan Chambers, it wasn't important to him. If he could buy your forgiveness, that's all that mattered. I won't even get started on how he saw absolutely nothing wrong with that manipulation or how he always plays the victim.

Typical narcissistic behavior.

"Ima heat this up, it's a little cold." My mom said, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Okay.."

Hearing footsteps approaching the kitchen, I plastered a smile on my face and eyes the doorway. Just knowing it was him.

He turned the corner with a surprised smile and sauntered over to me.

"Is that my Star?"

"Mmhm. Hi Daddy."

"Hey sweetheart."

He gave me a hug, and I allowed him to. Not bothering to return the sentiment, but I didn't pull away from him.

He knew I had bones to pick with him, but he never wanted to discuss them. The conversation always ended the same anyway. So it was no use in trying to get through anymore.

"How's the shop?"

"It's good."

"Any boyfriends?"

"Nope."

My mom turned around. "Speaking of boyfriends, Travis was asking—"

"I told you to stop talking to him." I cut her off quickly.

"Y'all may have broken up but that was a good man. He's a sweetheart."

Yeah, a sweetheart who beat your daughter whenever he felt like it....

I rolled my eyes at her and sighed. My parents had no idea what Travis had done to me, it was embarrassing to survive. More embarrassing to talk about and I wasn't about to sit through a pity parade with them. So I never mentioned it.