Chapter 072

Hailey "I'm all ears, Dad," I said, adjusting my position in the seat, preparing myself for the revelations to come. My father's eyes seemed to cloud over, his expression turning nostalgic. "This family wasn't always like this, Chickadee," he began, his voice low and melancholic. "You know that." I felt a surge of emotions: anger, hurt, and frustration. "I know, Dad. Things were better before Mom's death, when you shut me out," I retorted, my voice trembling with restrained emotion. My father's face darkened, his eyes flashing with defensiveness. "That's not what happened, Hailey," he protested. I raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched on my face. "Oh, really? Then remind me what happened, Dad?" I challenged, my tone dripping with sarcasm. My father's voice rose, his words spilling out in a rush. "You were stubborn, Hailey! You went ahead and married that...that...man, despite my warnings!" His face reddened, his eyes bulging with anger. I felt a sting from his words, but I refused to back down. "That story sounds familiar, Dad," I said, my voice laced with bitterness. "It was different with your second wife, wasn't it?" I spat, my anger boiling over. My father's expression changed, his voice taking on a calmer tone. "It was different, Hailey...Your stepmother—" I cut him off, my emotions raw. "Can we please stop going back and forth and cut to the chase? I'm tired of these games, Dad!" I exclaimed, my voice echoing through the room. 'You made your decision back then and I made mine, so could you please stop all these and get to the main reason why I'm actually here?" I fired back at him. My father's face twisted in a snarl. "Your decision was stupid, Hailey! It led to Charlotte's death, your stepmother's death, and almost cost me my life!" He bellowed, his words hanging in the air like a challenge. Time seemed to freeze. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. I stared at my father, my mind reeling with the implications of his words. "What...what did you say?" I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. My father's chest heaved, his eyes blazing with fury. "You heard me right, Hailey! You running off with Evans caused all this! You...you caused all this!" He spat, his words venomous. I felt like I was drowning, my world crumbling around me. "What?" I whispered, my eyes wide with horror. My father's expression turned cold, calculating. "Remember when I asked you to promise me you'd do as I say after your mom's death?" I nodded, my mind racing. "You said to marry whoever you wanted...Dad, that was a long time ago." My father's eyes seemed to bore into mine. "You can't trust anyone in the Brooklyn family, Hailey. No one's hands are clean." I felt a chill run down my spine. "Dad, your words aren't helping. You're only making things worse. Please, just tell me the truth," I pleaded, my voice cracking with emotion. My father's expression turned enigmatic, his eyes glinting with secrets. "The truth, Hailey...is more complicated than you think." My father's eyes dropped, his voice laced with remorse. "Years ago, before your mother's death, I took a massive loan from someone to fund my project. Your mother opposed it, knowing the lender's reputation, but I ignored her warnings. I was convinced my new science project would revolutionize the market." "What project?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. "A chip," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "A chip that enhances strength and controls the mind." I felt a shiver run down my spine. "What does this have to do with me, Dad?" My father's eyes locked onto mine, filled with regret. "After failing to repay the loan, I was forced to conduct my first test on your mother..." His voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. I felt a wave of disgust wash over me. "You killed Mom? For a stupid science project!!" I yelled, I've always known dad was a great scientist, but I never for once imagined he was willing to use his own family as one of his lab rats. He shook his head, his eyes welling up with tears. "No, Hailey, Mr. Brooklyn did. And now I'm paying the price while the real villain remains free." I sat there, frozen in shock. Mr. Brooklyn's involvement was more sinister than I'd imagined. A voice in my head whispered, "Why should you trust him?" I turned my attention back to my father. "Why should I trust you?" I retorted, my tone laced with skepticism. My father's expression turned pleading. "Because I'm your father, Hailey. And because I'm likely to die soon, and only you can put an end to this." I raised an eyebrow, still unsure. "How am I related to all this deceit?" His voice was devoid of emotion. "You were collateral damage, Hailey. A consequence of my failed project with your mom." I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "What?!" He continued, his words spilling out in a rush. "After your mom's death, I was forced to restart my project. But Mr. Brooklyn grew impatient, and wasn't ready to wait until I made an upgrade to my work, so he asked for you instead." I stared at my father, my mind reeling. "You fought him, didn't you?" He nodded. "I did, Hailey. And when you ran off with Evans, I thought it was a good thing. But then I heard about your divorce..." His voice trailed off. I interrupted, my emotions raw. "Evans' betrayal was his choice. He chose Charlotte over me." My father's expression turned grave. "No, Hailey, Evans was forced to choose Charlotte. She and her mother were under Mr. Brooklyn's control." I felt like my world had been turned upside down. The sheer amount of information was overwhelming, and I struggled to process it all. "I was on my way to warn you about Mr. Brooklyn's plan when I got into the accident that gave me this scar," my father explained, his eyes locked onto mine. "I managed to escape before the car exploded." "But the police report said they found remains in the car," I countered, my mind racing with the inconsistencies. My father's expression turned somber. "That wasn't me, Hailey. It was my assistant. He lost his life in all this. The plan was to capture you for Mr. Brooklyn, but when Charlotte and her mom failed, they came to me for help. Unfortunately, they were both killed." The weight of his words crashed down on me like a tidal wave. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of secrets and lies. My father's eyes pleaded with me to believe him. "Hailey, think about all the innocent people who have suffered. Think about your mom, at least. You have to know the truth." Just then, the police officer's gruff voice interrupted us. "Time's up, ma'am." I turned to him, desperation creeping into my voice. "Please, just a few more minutes, sir. Please." But my pleas fell on deaf ears. The police officers lifted my father up and began to drag him away. As he was being pulled back to his cell, my father yelled out to me. "Come back tomorrow, Hailey! I'll tell you everything! Your accident, all of it – it was part of the plan! Trust no one, Chickadee!!" His words echoed in my mind long after he was gone, leaving me with more questions than answers.