Mei POV:
It was around 10:00 p.m. I had already finished brushing my teeth and doing my skincare, so I was spending the rest of the night skimming over my notes before I went to bed.
The night was Father's hour, and he permitted no unnecessary noise. Once he was home—if he was—everyone stayed shut in their own rooms. However, there was one exception...
My phone buzzed from the corner of my desk. I glanced at the screen. My face grew still.
It was a text from Father. I didn't need to read it to understand why. There could only be one reason he'd text me this late.
I quickly got up from my desk, left my room, and descended the stairs. I moved with silent efficiency. I couldn't keep Father waiting, nor could I disturb him. It was hard to do both at first, but I got used to it by the time I was in the first grade.
The moment I arrived downstairs, the strong scent of alcohol hit my nose. Even after all these years, this smell still made me nauseous, but I held it down with a cheery smile. It was one of the few things I couldn't get used to.
The living room was completely dark, making it almost impossible to navigate—if not for the dim source of light that shone down onto the dinner table, acting as a beacon in the darkness.
I quietly approached Father from behind. For once, the table was spotless, with only a single half-full bottle of wine resting on it.
He leaned back in his chair, both legs kicked up on the table as they crossed one another. One arm rested along the armrest, his head propped on his fist. The other was holding a crystal glass half-full of deep red wine.
Before I could enter his field of vision, his deep voice pierced through the room as he addressed me.
"You're just on time, Mei. I almost didn't even notice you." His eyes didn't leave the glass for a single moment.
I stepped forward, entering Father's field of view, then gave him a deep, graceful bow. The positioning of my feet, the placement of my hands, and even the curve of my lips—everything was perfect.
"Of course, I didn't want to keep you waiting too long, or disturb you."
Father chuckled as he took a sip of his drink. He let out a small breath of relief when he finished and turned to me with his usual half-detached, half-crazed glint in his eyes.
"This is why I like you, Mei. You really are my pride and joy."
I replied with a curt nod. "You flatter me, Father. It's the least I could do. Anything less would be disgraceful."
He kicked his legs off the table and planted them on the ground. Then, he placed his glass down without a sound.
"Anyway," he said, clearly pleased. "I don't want to waste any more of your time for being a good Daughter, so I'll get straight to the point."
He leaned forward and clasped his hands together. The light above us flickered for just a second. In that brief moment, the half-detached, half-crazed look in his eyes disappeared, replaced with complete detachment.
"I've heard about your performance during sports day. You made me proud. Good job," he praised honestly.
Sports day ended almost two weeks ago, but I didn't question why he was telling me this now. Father lived on his own time.
"I sincerely appreciate it," I replied.
Father shook his head, but a satisfied grin found its way to his face. "There's no need to be so formal. You did well. Therefore, you deserve to be rewarded accordingly. After all–"
"Everything has a price. Even winning," I finished for him.
Father froze, his eyes fixed on mine. I didn't look away. Instead, I innocently tilted my head and flashed him a bright smile.
"Isn't that right, Father?"
The scent of alcohol vanished, replaced with a chilling dread. But that was good.
Suddenly, the sound of a sharp exhale cut through the room. Father's shoulders began to shake as he suppressed something between a laugh and a tremor.
"Good... That's very good, Mei!" he said, his voice teetering on something unhinged. "There really isn't anyone in this house as good as you!"
Father shoved his hand into his jacket. A soft jingle rang out as he grabbed whatever he had in store for me. His hand blurred as it shot out and threw something onto the table.
A metallic clatter pierced the room as the item slid across the table and stopped right in front of me.
It took me a while to process, but when I finally realized what it was—a gasp slipped from my lips. A sound that I hadn't made in front of him before.
There's… no way.
"You didn't see this coming, did you?" Father said, his voice low but vibrating with something unstable.
Father got up from his seat and slowly circled the table until he was right behind me. Throughout the whole process, I couldn't bring myself to look at him. In fact, I couldn't even move. All I could do—was stare at what lay in front of me.
Father leaned in, then whispered into my ear.
"Why so surprised? I've always given you gifts when you succeed."
He carefully brought his hand up and rested it against my shoulder, giving me a slight nudge forward.
"Nothing is free in this world. And my expectations of you are no exception."
Father grabbed my hand, his rough skin scraping against mine, and extended it towards the item.
"Now that you're seventeen, I thought it was time for an upgrade. You're almost an adult woman, after all."
He placed my hand on the object. The cold metallic feel sent goosebumps up my arm.
He let go and slowly stepped away from me. "Go on, take it. And once you do…"
He turned around and started walking to the front door. "Meet me outside."
Father opened the front door and stepped out without closing it behind him. The cool night breeze swept through the living room, compelling me to follow.
I grabbed the object and walked towards the door. The closer I got to the door, the cooler the breeze became.
Just as I was about to step out, something pressed against my eyes, blocking my vision.
I quickly stretched my hands out and grabbed the doorframe, stabilizing myself before I could lose balance.
That was when a soft whistle came from my left.
"You reacted quickly, my lovely Daughter," he whispered. "But you can relax. Just trust me. I'll guide you to where we need to go."
I hesitantly retracted my arms. The weight of gravity pulled me down for a split second before Father caught me, still covering my eyes. He carefully led me down the steps and towards what I assumed was our driveway.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
I gave him a quick nod. It was all I could do.
My heart was pounding.
My breath came short and quick.
Sweat had begun to form on my palms.
And my mind still couldn't keep up.
Father let go, and the world unveiled itself. The night sky was a dark blue, brimming with countless stars. It should've been a breathtaking view. But… there was something even bigger in front of me.
He… really wasn't kidding...
I stepped away from Father and slowly stretched my hand toward it. The white metal was cold to the touch, and it radiated this "new" scent.
"I told you," Father said from behind me. "There is always a price for something. And this is yours."
I lifted the key he had given me earlier and pressed the fob. The engine revved loudly in the silence of the night.
Father opened the door and gestured for me to get in. My body twitched, as if refusing to move.
Seeing that, Father shook his head and leaned in closer to my ear.
"This car… is yours."
He pressed his hand against my back and guided me inside. My body obeyed and slid into the driver's seat. The scent was even stronger inside, almost overwhelming. But I remained seated.
"Put your hands on the steering wheel," he said.
I did as he told me to. The new leather was cool and smooth, with subtle ridges to help with grip.
It was all just… too good to be true. There had to be a catch, a condition, or something. It was impossible that he'd give this to me for free.
My mouth opened, and I carefully pushed the words out. "W-what about gas and insurance?"
Father snickered. "I'll pay for all of that. But this car is tied to your name. So it's all yours. I have nothing to do with it."
My body tensed as my mind scrambled to think up something else. "T-then what about finals?"
The moment those words left my mouth, a wave of utter dread consumed me.
Ah.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over Father's face, one darker than the night sky itself.
"Finals, huh…"
He rested his hand on the door and slowly traced along the frame.
"That's another thing, and the conditions are the same."
*bump* *bump* *bump*
His hand stopped, and he turned his head to me. His half-detached, half-crazed expression was...gone. Replaced by complete madness.
"If you get first place in your year, then expect an even greater gift!"
*Bump* *Bump* *Bump*
Father smacked his lips, the sound lingering in the air. When it disappeared, so did his smile.
"However, if you don't…"
Father leaned in close. He leaned in so close to me that his face began to stretch in my eyes, becoming distorted.
*BUMP* *BUMP* *BUMP*
Before I could even think, he grabbed my hair and drove his forehead into mine. The instant he did, I was overwhelmed by a sickening sense of nausea and agonizing pain, the sensations clashing in my head and stomach. I couldn't scream. I couldn't cry. I couldn't do anything. Everything was spinning—everything except his face.
His lips parted, the scent of alcohol filling my nostrils. "I don't think you want to find out."
Then—everything went white.