There seem to be 2 kinds of rich people
Rich and stupid Rich.
The Rangers were stupid rich. They bought dumb things just because they could, they got a big house- no a gigantic house with 12 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms when only 4 of them lived in the house and majority of the time half of them were never home.
Fin's sister, Fiona was a 14 -year-old tyrant who spent her time yelling at the maids and recording for her YouTube channel and smacking on her Berry Splash Strawberry Bubble gum. Her communications skills consisted of eye rolls and lip-smacking.
The whole family was torture.
My Father stood beside me fixing his tie as we stood in front of the front door. Moments like this my mom would help him straighten it out, it wouldn't be sweet or romantic it would be him avoiding eye contact and her trying her best not to listen to her inner voice and choke him with it.
While he rearranged his tie I pulled out my deep matte red lipstick.
" I told you how I felt about that lipstick." He grumbled pulling out his handkerchief and handing it to me.
" Red lipstick represents confidence." I confidently responded applying my red licks.
" Red lipstick is for hookers." His face turned in disgust.
" You would know all about that wouldn't you?" My witty remarked didn't go unnoticed and while the corner of my lips raised in a smirk. He wasn't amused. His large hand wrapped right, so tight around my small wrist, I was in fear that he'd break it. His frosty blue eyes were cold, so cold I felt a chill run up my spine.
I love my Dad.
But sometimes I fear him more.
My lipstick fell out of my hand at his sudden grasp, it was the falling pen in the silent room. The only thing that could be heard.
" Play nice." His deep voice warned.
It was the only words he needed to say.
The message was clear. And I would abide.
When he was gone it was easy to make trouble, but when was there My Father had me on such a tight leash I struggled to breathe and in some way I think that's what he wanted. He wanted me to need him for air. To depend on him as my life source because that made it easy for him to pull his strings.
His grip released yet the feeling still it lingered on my wrist even as the front door opened. It was like a switch the stern face turned to a friendly smile and I knew that the act was now own.
" John!" Lora exclaimed. Her brunette hair was cut short and neatly curled her face unbotched and the numerous amounts of money she spent on Botox were in full effect not a wrinkle in sight. Her small frame was dressed in a beautiful white dress making her look like the perfect housewife. Her almonds eyes feel in me and her smile widen.
" Oh my God! Kinsley, you get more beautiful every time I see you." She compliments. My Dad sent me a look that cut like daggers.
I smiled " As do you Mrs.Ranger I swear you're aging backward!"
Lora touches her face and blushes at the compliment.
" Call me Lora dear you know you're family." She said, " How rude of me please come in."
I stepped into the large house my Father following in after. The smell of spices filled in the air. " Doesn't it smell divine. The chief we hired is just marvelous!"
Fiona stood in foyer typing away on her phone not even glancing up at.
" Fiona our guest is here!" Lora announced excitedly.
Fiona's eyes never left her screen " When are they leaving?" She asked blandly.
" Fiona don't be rude." Lora scowled. Fiona sighed and rolled her eyes.
She looked at me and asked, " What's Kylie doing here?"
" Kinsley." I corrected
" Whatever." She waved off before heading back up the stairs " I'll be in my room, Lora. Don't bother me!" Her little feet stumped up the stairs.
Lora nervously laughed " Teenagers right?"
My Father and I both simply nodded.
" But anyway Fin and Bruce should be on their way in, they where just golfing-"
Her words were cut short as both Fin and Bruce entered wearing your classic gold wear khakis and fucking polos. Fin was destined to be like his Dad rich, powerful, and corrupt. He could get away with doing shit because his Dad would always wipe his ass afterward. Fin Ranger was untouchable all because of the powerful people in front of him.
In the eyes of my father Fin was a saint, perfect material for son in law. With Ivy leagues lining up, athletic background and most importantly... Money.
" Look who made it."Bruce laughed and embraced my Dad in a handshake.
" Wouldn't miss it and couldn't miss it. Little Kenny the Pooh here was to excitedly to come this evening."
Liar
The focus drifted on me.
" So excited." I agreed through my forced smile.
" You just get prettier by the minute doesn't she just get prettier Son?"
And there it was.
The first shove.
Our parents pushed us on to each other our entire lives. Playing Cupid. They knew Fin and I was "separates" and always did anything in their power to push us back together.
There was no magnetic pull, no sparks that brought us together. It was the force of our parents.
Being in the house made me sick. Being close to his family made me ache, but being with Fin is what put me in my death bed.
" Yes, sir." Fin agreed. I shifted in discomfort as he stared at me. Fin stepped forward and shock my Father's hand.
" It's great seeing you, John."He greeted
" You too, I'm sure you've been keeping m Kinsley in line. I know she can be a hand full."
Ew.
The foyer feels with laughter all but me.
" If anything she keeps me in line. You know what they say every strong man has a stronger woman behind him."
" Beside him." I correct with an eye roll at the sexism that was in that comment.
My comment went ignored and after shaking my Fathers had Fin stood in front of me. He leaned in with intentions of placing a kiss on my cheek, but I stepped back creating space between us. Making the message clear.
They could smile all they want and even though they might have swept it under the rug I had not. It was all I thought about all I could ever think about. How could I not? How could he my own Father force me to dinner with these people after what they did?
Fin's eyebrows frowned seeing how I rejected him, he was frustrated and embarrassed in front of his Father. The man he needed all the approval from. Fin didn't have strings on him, he jumped when his Father said jump without even thinking.
" Finnegan." I simply said giving a nod of acknowledgment.
Sensing the tension in the air Lora spoke before Fin could respond. " We are so happy you are here! We know it been a while we even added to the Garden. Fin why don't you show Kinsley the garden!" She suggested " I'll go check on the food. You two go and catch up."
" Kinsley." Fin said. Slightly extending his forearm for me to hold on to as he guided me to the garden. He was out of his mind if he thought I was touching him.
" Kinsley." This time it was My Father who had spoken with the same tone he used earlier, stern.
My arm looped with Fins and I felt my stomach turn, as I was forced to be alone with him. The walk was silent as we exited the house through the front door and headed to the beautiful garden. As soon as we reached the garden I removed my self from his touch. The sun was quietly sneaking away yet, it's raze beamed in my face.
Fin watched me, his eyes staring at me taking in my features. He knew his gaze made me uncomfortable, which he proceeded to do it. I couldn't look at him, so instead I stared at the flower bed my fingers touching the soft petals.
" You really do look beautiful Kinsley."
He made me hate the word beautiful. Finnegan made me wish I was anything but, made me wish I was undesirable in his eyes that way I could escape his gaze. He made me wish I was ugly, so ugly he wouldn't want to touch me that way I wouldn't have to feel the sickening chills anymore. I didn't want to be wanted by Fin. I didn't think anyone would want me after Fin.
Fin stepped closer his body large body was intimidating, he was strong and tall towering over me. I felt his warm breath hit the side of my check.
" What no thank you?" His chuckle was dark and haunting. Still, I didn't reply. Fin gripped my chin with force yanking my body towards him, forcing my eyes on him.
Those cold dead angry eyes. A misogynist, a boy who thought he owned me, that I was supposed to kneel at the sight of him. He acted as if his compliment was a blessing.
" Say thank you." He demanded coldly. His fingers digging in my skin as his grip tighten. When the words still didn't leave my mouth I saw the rage in his eyes. My face remained unfazed unhinged even though my insides were trembling.
" Thank you." The words didn't sound like mine, they didn't sound like the escaped my read lips. They were meek and shaky.
Just what Fin wanted. He lowered my head placing a cold kiss on my forehead " Good girl."
I jerked my face away and turned around my back to his facing the garden, that familiar haunting chill run up my body. He didn't like that.
" When are you going to grow up. I've apologized Babe how many times do I have to say fucking sorry?" He pleaded, but when I knew that was fake.
I couldn't find my voice. I couldn't find my voice. Not the scared little girl who spoke for me before. That wasn't me, I was supposed to be fearless and confident.
But why did I feel so...
Scared.
Fin scoffed " How predictable"
" Now you don't have shit to say, come on Kinzie Baby I know you aren't shy ." He chuckled " You sure weren't shy when you had my dick in your mouth-"
Smack.
I turned around and my hand meets Fin's face and this chills of terror I had turned into a spark that ignited a flame once I slapped the shit out of him.
" Don't you fucking dare!" I threaten.
A fire couldn't stop the Devil.
A smile stretched across his face as he held be touched his bleeding lip.
" There goes my girl!" He exclaims with pride licking the drop of blood from his lip.
" I'm not your fucking girl." I cursed
" How could I forget you've been a little slut lately. Leading guys on a like a damn whore. Your Dad should be grateful I even want you." I raised my hand ready to slap him again, but he beat me to it clenching on to my wrist preventing me from touching his face. " Tisk tisk tisk Baby. You've always liked it rough."
" GET AWAY FROM ME!" I hollered and aggressively pushed him back.
I hate Fin Ranger.
If that wants already obvious.
We both stood there with rage in our eyes, and I knew Fin wouldn't hesitate to hit me back. That we both would be rolling around in the grass trying to ripe each other's heads off. Fin would easily win, he always did. But I would always keep fight biting, scratching, whatever I could. He came to school with a scratch clear across his face once and had to blame it on his dog.
I was too young for all of it.
But to my Dad, that didn't matter.
Fin would have smacked my ass clear across the estate if it wasn't for his Mother " Is everything alright?" She asked. Already knowing the answer.
" We're fine!" Fin barked
" Are you sure-"
" I said we're fucking fine!"
Lora nodded and tried to hide back the saddening expression, with a tight smile. I felt sorry for Lora, her son was just like his father.
" Dinner is ready." She simply said and headed inside.
* * * *
Bruce and my Father laughed away as they reflected on their time in Tokyo and every other place besides home. Every now and then my Father would ask Fin about school and Fin would go on and on about his academic accomplishments and sports. Fiona hadn't looked up from her phone for a second and Lora was had been yapping at the maid for not giving her a certain amount of ice cubes in her drink.
The food smelled and delicious, but I didn't have the appetite.
" Heard about your acceptance to Dartmouth."
Here it goes.
" Yes, sir." Fin replied
" I'm not surprised you've always been a well-rounded kid. I was hoping that would rub off on Kinsley. Can't wait for you 2 to head off to Dartmouth next fall."
Even though my grades had excelled a lot that semester it wasn't enough to get into Dartmouth, but then again my Father always had a plan and if my grades wouldn't get me into Dartmouth his checkbook would.
" Juilliard." I corrected.
Their eyes went to me and my reign of silence was over, but once talkative table went quiet.
Until it wasn't.
They burst into a laugher as if it came joke. As if my dreams where funny.
" Oh your still doing that tap dancing thought you would have grown out it by now." Bruce laughed.
" Ballet," Lora interjected. " She is an exceptional dancer, her performance at the festival was live streamed and was the highlight of the night. Kinsley is very talented." I didn't need praise from Lora, but I appreciated.
" Festival?" He asked . His eyebrow-raising confused by her comment.
Oh no.
He hadn't even known about that.
" Words of Hope-" I cut Lora's words off. I loved my Father even though he gave me every reason to hate him. Mention my Mother's festival would only remind him off her. I wasn't trying to save my own ass. I was trying to save my Father from the moment of pain he would have, the nostalgia he would get remember my Mother going around the house with a planner and how serious she always took the festival.
Words of Hope.
Only reminded my Father of everything he lost.
" I've been taking SAT prep." I stated changing the subject.
" My GPA went up to 3.5 and if I keep working at it I'll get up to a 4.0. I just have a few B's that I need to take care of."
A smile stretched across my Father face.
" Great improvement with dance out the way you seem to be flourishing."
Fin lightly laughed.
" She sure has even has a new tutor."
" A tutor? I'd love to meet this miracle worker that made my daughter a scholar." My Father let out a heft laugh
" Really cause just early you told me to never see him again."
His smile decreased " The boy... the boy's your tutor?"
I nodded. " Jasper Ralston. He's amazing helped me out a lot with my work he's rank one off our class with Fin following after him." I added earning a scowl from Fin. " And he's-"
" Deaf." Fin interrupted my chain of praise.
" Deaf? A deaf boy's your tutor?" Bruce asked before laughing. " Fin you let a deaf kid knock you off your rank?" He laughed even harder. " Well I'll be damned."
While Bruce laughed up a storm Fin's jaw clenched upset that his Father was seeing him as a joke.
" He must be marvelous." Lora complimented taking a sip of her wine. " With something like that on a college application he could go anywhere. His parents must be proud."
"Yeah he's doing quite well for a kid from East Side."
East side.
Fin knew what he was doing when he spoke those words. The tension it would bring.
With my Father heard the words " East Side" many things came to mind. Gangs, Drugs, trouble, and Poverty. Jasper only feel into 1.. okay maybe 2 of those categories. He was poor, and his brother was a drug dealers
But from what I knew he was gang free. That's a plus... right?
Although it didn't matter to me, it mattered to my Dad. Knowing Jasper was from the East Side. Knowing that my Father considered it an embarrassment. His daughter needing to have some East Side kid help her with school making me the "charity."
" It doesn't matter what "side" he's from. Thanks to him I'm passing isn't that what you wanted?"
" I wanted you to have a proper education and if you had that you wouldn't be at a 3.5 but a 4.0. That boy has failed and it shows."
What the fuck?
" Luckily, you won't continue seeing him." His head turned to Fin. " Fin well take over your studies that way I know you
are fully equipped-"
" No." I defended.
At that moment the clacking of forks and spoons stopped Fiona had looked up from her phone knowing shit was about to go down.
" What did you just say?"
" I said fucking no," I repeated confidently. " I like Jasper and you can't make me stop seeing him."
" Kinsley." He said in a low threatening tone.
" Dad." I challenged setting with my back straight and the same stern expression he'd always give me. I wasn't backing down.
" I am your Father and what I say goes. That boy is trouble."
" And Fin isn't!" I exclaimed my hands hitting the dining room table with force.
" Kinsley lets just calm down-" Bruce tried to sooth
" No, let's address the big fucking elephant in the room!" I shouted
" Sit down now Kinsley!" My Father commanded.
As I stood there at the edge of breaking point, I stared down at the world below me. The fancy dining room table with crystal chandeliers hanging over us. The big Thanksgiving meal that none of us cooked and the people around it.
We where mannequins.
Placed in a setting with fine china and pearls. Dipping diamonds in gold. Living in a martial world right in front of a big window where everyone could see us dressed in nice clothes. We would pose pretty so no one would know how ugly we really were. And convince ourselves it's all real when really.
We where mannequins.
But how were we supposed to know we were fake when were born this way. We were made of material, so of course, we were materialistic.
But I'm tired of plastic.
I'm tired of teacups and pretty necklaces that are just leashes made of gold.
I'm tired of being stuck in this same pose.
I need skin.
To feel.
To be touched by something besides the hands of a cold mannequin.
I want to be warm.
" You are terrible people." Those were my last words before I turned and walked off my father shouting my name as I walked out the dining room.
" You ungrateful girl." My dad growled as he spotted me in the foyer. " You embarrass me time and time again with your immaturity and childish antics your Mother would be ashamed-"
I scoffed " Don't drag Mom into this. Don't talk about Mom as if you loved her. As if you know what she would want."
" You know I loved your Mother."
" You loved her so much you cheated on her right? Loved her so much you got another woman pregnant." I shot back and rolled my eyes.
" What a romantic." I sarcastically added. The affair. Another secret we weren't supposed to mention. The betrayal that made my Mom go insane, the one that made her stuff me in a car while she was nearly blind just to run away from him.
" Watch your tongue with me, Kinsley." He spoked.
" All I am trying to do is take care of All I have ever been trying to do was to take care of you! Yes, I've made a mistake. But with you, I will make no more! You will grow up successful and wealthy with a husband and company with your name on it. How could you be so ungrateful-"
" I don't want it!"
We know longer carried anymore. We didn't care if we were loud if the whole house had heard us. For the first time, my Father wasn't faking it, he wasn't uptight and stern nor was he faking his classic smile. Honesty was in eyes and truth was in his words. They where honest lies, because to him they were true. To him I was ungrateful, to him he was only trying to take care of me. With made them his truth.
But to me, they where lies.
His honest shitty lies.
" I won't argue with you anymore Kinsley. Throw your fit be angry. But at the end of the day, you will be with Finnegan. Don't be selfish. This is for our legacy for our family. Don't you get it? You will have part of a company, You will be a female CEO to one of the richest companies in the world. What is so bad about that?
My eyes watered a tear feel down my face as he explained his dreams. What he wanted from me. It hurt seeing how real this was. Seeing how he thought I was wrong for not wanting what he had to offer.
" You know," I said through clenched teeth.
He shook his head and ran his hands over his face. " I raised you to be stronger than that. Damn it, Kinsley, would you grow up and get over it."
" Get over it?" Silent tears, another tear fell down my face and I realized I was crying.
" Get over it!" My fist clenched in frustration my voice grew louder with anger and pain.
" Yes." He agreed
" Get over it-"
" HE RAPED ME!"
I broke.
It came out of me like a great flood. The words hadn't left my tongue in mouths. I hadn't spoken of it, not one word. Not until now. The words echoed so loud against the walls amplifying them my cries being impossible not to be heard.
Tears stained my face to the point where I felt unrecognizable. I couldn't do it anymore. It was unbearable. Keeping it in for so long.
" In this very house." I cried. He couldn't look at me, he looked everywhere else but me.
" And you knew..." I sobbed " You knew because I told you. I trusted to protect me. You held me. You told me it would be okay." I stepped closer to him. I don't know what I was expecting. I wanted him to see my tears... to feel some remorse for what he had done.
" But you're a liar Dad."
" There was no police report, no you couldn't have that kind of attention." A sad chuckle left my mouth as looked him.
" A day later while I'm crying, sobbing in my room. You come to me with Non-Disclosures Agreement and told me to sign. Giving me the same crap ass fucking speech about our legacy. You cared more about the company and your partner Bruce. You cared more about your relationship with him than me."
" And I signed it like an idiot. I wasn't allowed to talk it, because the agreement. I was supposed to act like it never happened. I wanted to die. No therapy, no one to talk to... " I sighed " Just me and the memory."
" It didn't stop there. Fin uploaded my pictures to make sure that if I did tell people would only see me as skank and would never believe it. Because a girl in short skirt deserves it right?"
He didn't speak.
" Right Dad?" My voice was soft and raspy tired from the yelling. " I deserved it."
" Kinsley." He pleaded to want me to stop.
" No Dad. Tell me I deserved."
He finally looked at me, emotion flashing in his eyes as if he was battling within himself. " Tell me." I pleaded. Conflicted inside. As if he wanted to go back to the Father I knew before. The one that would hold me and call me Kinny The Pooh. The Father had held me when I cried. I saw that man in his eyes for a single second.
Until he was gone. And his eyes went dark.
" You deserved nothing ." He confessed.
"Because, because it never happened."
My heart shattered.
Games. I guess that's what we're playing. He would deny and pretend it never happened just as I was supposed to do, but was done pretending. I couldn't do it anymore.
I stepped away from the Monster who's last name I shared.
" I wish I would have died in that car with Mom. At least she finally escaped you." I undid the pretty necklace around my neck and tossed it to the ground landing right at his feet.
With those final words, without looking back. I turned and walked out of that house. Not knowing where to go after.