I didn't tell anyone what happened that dreadful day. To the world, it was a freak accident that one of the richest people in Los Vegas was found dead in his bedroom.
No one knew I did it. They never did. To this day they believed it was one of Dad's many enemies that poisoned him.
But on the other hand, they didn't get to know how much of a shitty person he was and how much he deserved it.
"What?" Dad spat as my little sister dared to mutter his name. He moved the phone away from his ear.
"Could I go to Anna's house?" My sister asked. Dad rolled his eyes.
"Just get out. I'm doing something important." He lifted the phone back up to his ear as the door shut and my sister ran off.
I flinched as I felt something tightly constrict around my stomach.
"Oh, sorry dear. Too tight?" A woman said. I nodded and she loosened the measuring tape wrapped around me. It was for a new modeling partnership. Dad was on the phone with them right now. The woman was just getting my measurements to find the right size for the shoot.
He walked over with the phone pressed against his shoulder and looked down at the measurement the woman was writing down.
"Is that going to be written on the advertisement?" He asked. The woman nodded. Dad took the measuring tape and put it around my stomach. He yanked it tight and pitched it together at the back. It hurt.
He finally released it with his finger on the number. He showed it to the woman. "Put that instead. He'll fit." He said, walking off again on the phone. The woman sighed and did as instructed before packing up her things in a little box. I said thank you, put a t-shirt on and left the room. Dad was too absorbed in the phone call to notice that no one else was in the room anymore.
I wandered around the halls for a while before going to the kitchen. Dad hired a staff to make meals for us, but no one was there at the moment. I snuck to the fridge and grabbed an apple then went over to the sink and washed it. Before I took a bite, someone took it from my hands.
One of the staff stood next to me. They put the apple back in the fridge and came back. He held a paper out to me. I already knew what it said. It was a list of when and what I was allowed to eat. Dad always gives me something like this for the days leading up to a photoshoot.
"May I remind you of your father's requested dietary restrictions?" The staff member said. "You're not allowed to eat until 8 A.M tomorrow morning. The breakfast you had this morning covered all of your calorie intake for the day." So three pancakes... I grabbed the paper and stuck it in my pocket.
"He has also asked for you in his office." I rolled my eyes. He couldn't have said that when I was already in his office?
When I got back up to Dad's office, he was now sitting in his leather chair behind his desk. He looked up from his computer at me as I walked in but then right back down at it.
"You'll be going over to the studio tomorrow for the shoot. I'll have one of the bodyguards bring you over." He said. I nodded as I sat in a chair. I picked at my nails. When I first started, Mom would always come with me to make sure I was comfortable. I'm not very fond of a bunch of old people yelling at me to pose a certain, uncomfortable way without being able to speak up against them. Even after Mom left dad, I'd text her if I had photoshoots so she could come and make sure no one was making me do something I didn't want to. Dad blocked her number from my phone and searches through it every few days. So, there goes that. Even when I can text or call her, I don't get a response anymore.
"I've also got in contact with another company," Dad grabbed a magazine and slid it across the desk to me. I flipped it open but immediately shut it again. The people inside were wearing little to no clothing.
"Dad, I can't do this. I'm 17." I argued. I wouldn't even agree to this if I was of legal age. It's gross. Dad turned to me.
"The people don't know that. You're tall enough to pass as 19, maybe even 20." He pushed the magazine towards me again. "Plus, they pay big time for stuff like that."
My stomach hurts. But I couldn't tell if it was from hunger or disgust. I was so uncomfortable with just the thought of it. I shook my head and pushed the magazine back.
"I'm not doing it." I called. Dad just stared at me for a moment. He grabbed another paper and dropped it in front of me.
"You start next week." I grabbed the paper. It was a contract with my forged signature written on it. My heart dropped.
I looked back up at Dad. He didn't seem to care in the slightest. He just turned back to his computer, typing away at something.
I threw the contract back on the desk, got up, and left. My nose tingled and my vision began to blur. I don't want this.
I went right to my room and slammed the door shut. I just stood there for a moment in silence before the tears began to fall. I sat on the edge of my bed and felt the paper in my pocket. I took it out and ripped it in half before turning over to sob again.
"Sir?" There was a knock on the door. I didn't get up. The sun was beginning to set and my room was getting dark from lack of light. I just wanted to lay there all day. But clearly everyone else had other plans.
One of the staff poked his head in carefully. After he saw me lying on the bed, he opened the door fully.
"Your father has asked me to tell you to get ready to head over to the casino." He said. I shook my head.
"I'm not going." I said back. There was silence from the man. The staff is really bad at putting up with me and my siblings' stubbornness.
"Well, your family is waiting for you." He spoke after a while. I turned my head over to him. He smiled at me to get me to start moving. I sighed and sat up.
"I'll be down in a minute."
-
Dad let out his loud, obnoxious laugh as he greeted one of his friends with a hug. I stood there awkwardly while my little brother ran off with his friend and my sister went to find something to eat. I picked at the button on my red, leather jacket while I stared down at the floor.
The only reason I like modeling is because of the cool clothes I get for free and the money. The outfit I was wearing now was on the simpler side since I didn't have the energy to do much.
A black turtleneck with a red leather jacket, washed out flare jeans, and black boots. I also had some makeup on which was kind of annoying because my eyelid was itchy.
People always compliment me. I don't like how I get recognized though. Dad had to send me out with one of his bodyguards when I wanted to go over to a friend's house because last time I went out by myself, I came home with a scar. I don't see my friends much anymore.
"Why don't I get you a drink?" Dad cheered as he patted his friends back.
"Who'd say no to free drinks?" His friend laughed back. Dad turned to me.
"I'll get you one too," He placed a hand on my shoulder. I shook my head and moved away slightly.
"No thanks," I mumbled. Dad gave me a face and walked over to the upstairs bar. The upper balcony is for the weirdos that wanna spend even more money to sit on a pedestal and look like they're better than everyone.
I keep my head down when walking through this area. Dad hired some...'adult performers' to entertain his well paying clients. I went over and sat in a booth while Dad and his friend went over to the bar. They talked for a while before his friend came over and sat across from me. He smiled with his yellow teeth so I smiled back to not be rude.
Dad came over with a few drinks. He placed a beer in front of his friend and a margarita shaped glass in front of me. The drink was blue with sugar laced around the rim and a toothpick leaning against the side. It normally has something stuck in it, but I don't eat it. I always get a drink like this because it doesn't have much alcohol in it.
I moved so Dad could sit, then he and his friend started chatting again. I just looked around the area, taking the occasional sip of my drink.
My little sister ran over to us with some candy in her mouth. I hate that Dad lets her and my brother come up here. She's 13 years old. My brother is 11.
She noticed Dad talking and turned to me. "Can you order me a Shirley temple? I got nervous and I didn't want to order downstairs," I nodded and stood up. She grabbed onto my hand and skipped over to the bar.
"One Shirley temple please," I told the bartender. He nodded and turned around to grab a glass. Maya pulled at my hand. I looked down at her and she held out a piece of a Twisler for me to take. I glanced back towards the booth Dad sat at. I could see and feel him staring at me.
"Here you are," I flinched and turned around as the bartender pushed the bright red drink towards me. Maya stuck the candy in her mouth and climbed up on the chair to grab her drink.
"Thank you," I mumbled and grabbed a straw so Maya wouldn't spill the drink all over herself. She climbed back down and we walked back over to the booth. Dad's friend smiled again but at Maya this time.
"Hey there, Maya! How've you been?" He called. Maya mumbled 'good' in between a sip. I noticed one of the 'performers' walking out and over to a table near us. I placed a hand on both of Maya's shoulders to stop her from turning around and knelt down slightly to talk to her.
"Why don't you head back downstairs?" Maya nodded and ran off. I sighed and turned to sit back down. Dad tapped my shoulder and motioned to the woman that had walked out.
"She makes thousands in a single night." He said. I knew where this was going. I closed out the rest of what he said and just swirled the toothpick around in the drink. I started paying attention again when his friend chimed in.
"That sounds great. You've got the perfect body for that kind of stuff too," I shuttered as I heard the comment. Dad just agreed with him, which made me feel worse.
I sat there for a little long before getting up to make it look like I wasn't disturbed by the comment. I made up the excuse that I was going to find Kieron, my little brother.
Mom would always tell me how much she hated us being at the casino because of how unsafe it is. Her and Dad got into an argument about it. Now, Dad has people stationed at the
doors to stop us and anyone with us from leaving just in case we're being kidnapped or something. It works out if you assume nothing bad will happen inside the casino which is never true.
I found Kieron sitting at a booth, eating chicken nuggets and french fries with his friend. They were given coloring sheets to distract them. There was a bodyguard lingering behind them.
Before Kieron was born, Mom and Dad's relationship started to deteriorate. After he was born, Mom only stayed around for a year to care for him before leaving. She tried to get custody of us, but Dad had enough money to pay for a good lawyer.
He moved on pretty fast. I found out that he's been seeing a woman every now and then. She's come by the house to 'help Dad with his job' a few times. I don't like her.
I sat at the booth next to Kieron and asked him what he was coloring. He went on to show me the drawing he was working on. It was a dragon with fire around him. I complimented his artwork and sat there for a while since I didn't want to go back upstairs.