ETHAN'S POV
I couldn't sleep a wink last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Tori's tear-streaked face as she showed me that photo.
My dad had threatened her scholarship, her entire future, just to keep her away from me.
I'd sent him a text: We need to talk. Tomorrow.
No response, of course.
The family mansion was only twenty minutes from campus, but I had tennis practice first. Matt would lose his mind if I skipped. So I forced myself to drive to school, parking in my usual spot and jogging toward the courts with my gear.
Coach spotted me immediately. "Ethan, you're late for practice."
"Sorry, Coach," I muttered, dropping my bag.
"Your dad was here."
I froze mid-stretch. "What?"
He shrugged, not meeting my eyes. "Said to take you off the championship. I have no idea why."
A laugh of disbelief escaped me. "And you did?"
"You know he's the school—"
"School what?" I cut him off, anger boiling over. "What business does he have with what I do or your job as a coach?"
Coach shifted uncomfortably. "Ethan—"
"I'm done here." I walked past him, ignoring the stares from my teammates. I didn't stop until I reached my car.
Once inside, I slammed my hand against the steering wheel, dropping my head onto it. This was unbelievable.
First Tori's scholarship, now the championship. He was systematically destroying everything I cared about.
For years, I'd let him control my life. It had gotten worse after Mom died, when the guilt had consumed me.
But Tori was right—I wasn't responsible for Mom's death. It was fate. An accident. But Dad had made me feel responsible, used that guilt to control me.
Enough was enough.
I started the car and peeled out of the parking lot, tires squealing. I drove on autopilot, anger fueling every turn, every acceleration.
Before I knew it, I was only a few blocks from home. From him.
I pulled into our circular driveway and barely bothered to park properly before jumping out. The front door slammed against the wall as I burst in.
Dad was at the dining table, calmly eating lunch like he hadn't just nuked my tennis career.
"Why the hell did you tell Matt to take me off the championship?" I demanded.
He barely glanced up from his plate. "Sit down, Ethan."
"No. Answer me. What gives you the right to do that?" My voice rose with each word. "Because I've been so respectful, you think you can do whatever you want? This is my life, not yours, and I get to do what I want with it! Why would you even do that?!"
He set down his fork deliberately. "You threatened me because of a woman. That low-life—"
"Don't you dare call her that," I cut in, fists clenched at my sides. "She is not a lowlife. Just because we had it easy doesn't mean you can ridicule others who are less fortunate. She's an orphan, for God's sake! How could you be so heartless?"
"She's a distraction," he said coldly. "I told you what would happen if you lost focus. The championship—"
"Screw the championship!" I shouted. "And screw your control over my life! You know what? You’ve always blamed me for Mom’s death, but the truth is, it was you, Dad. You’re the one who’s responsible.”
His eyes shot up, wide with shock.
"Yes, I kept quiet all this while and wanted to take the blame because I was a good enough son to her," I continued, unable to stop now that I'd started. "I should have taken her to the hospital myself, but guess what? That accident didn't kill her. It was you, because she had a panic attack and died before she got to the hospital."
Tears spilled from my eyes, but I didn't bother wiping them away. Let him see what he'd done to me.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice suddenly uncertain.
"The EMTs told me later. She was conscious after the crash. She was talking. Then she started having trouble breathing. Her heart stopped before they could get her to the hospital." I took a shuddering breath. "She had panic attacks for years. But you didn't know that, did you? Because you were never there. Always working, always pushing, always controlling."
Dad stood slowly, his face pale. "Ethan, you don't know what you're saying."
"I know exactly what I'm saying. You've been blaming me for three years when you're the one who drove her to it. Your pressure. Your expectations. Your absence."
"That's enough!" he slammed his hand on the table.
"No, it's not enough. Henceforth, I want you to know you don't deserve to be called my father."
My voice broke, but I pushed on. "You can disown me if you want. You can continue bribing Matt so you can stop me from making a name for myself, but that won't stop me from living. I can live without you.."
I shoved past him and stalked towards the door, then paused and turned slightly. “And for your information, that volleyball girl you threatened? She’s gonna be my girlfriend.”