I lied. Told him I wanted to be an accountant—safe, stable, boring. The look of relief on his face made me feel guilty for days. Truth was, I'd been secretly writing fanfiction for years, crafting elaborate backstories for side characters in 'Dragon Age.' The idea of turning storytelling into a job seemed ridiculous, like saying you wanted to be a unicorn trainer. But after two miserable accounting classes, I cracked and showed him a fantasy short story I'd published online. He read it silently, then asked if I'd considered technical writing. 'Steady work, but still words,' he said. Not the fiery endorsement I'd hoped for, but it was his version of a peace treaty. Now we meet for coffee every Sunday, and he clips newspaper articles about writing grants 'just in case.'
It was summer, and the air smelled like cut grass when he brought it up. I'd been avoiding the conversation for months, scribbling vague answers like 'something creative' in my journal. But Dad? He wanted specifics. So I made lists—pros and cons of teaching versus graphic design, salary comparisons, even job shadowing at his friend's architecture firm. The more I researched, the more I realized how much I hated the idea of being stuck in one lane forever. Then I binge-watched 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' and got obsessed with stand-up comedy's chaos.
I didn't drop out to pursue mic nights (though the thought crossed my mind). Instead, I compromised: a communications degree with electives in theater. Dad grumbled about 'practical skills,' but he bought me a microphone for my birthday. These days, I write marketing copy by day and sneak jokes into corporate newsletters. He laughs at them, so I count that as a win.
I panicked at first, honestly. My dad sat me down with this expectant look, like I was supposed to have my whole life mapped out at 18. I didn't. So, I did what any overwhelmed kid would do—I procrastinated by diving into every hobby I'd ever half-liked. Baking? Tried it for a week. Coding? Lasted three days before the brackets made my eyes cross. Then I stumbled on this podcast about people who turned weird passions into careers, like the guy who reviews vintage typewriters for a living. It hit me: maybe I didn't need to 'choose' anything yet. I told Dad I wanted to explore, and weirdly, he nodded like he'd been waiting for me to say that. Now I'm interning at a tiny indie game studio, testing buggy levels and loving every glitch.
Looking back, I think he just wanted me to think about it seriously, not have all the answers. The pressure came from me imagining some perfect 'career path' blueprint. Turns out, most adults I meet stumbled into their jobs by accident anyway. My boss studied marine biology before designing pixel art for a living—how's that for a plot twist?
2026-05-16 05:25:27
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My Father's Best Friend, My Obsession
Authoress Ti Fe
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“We shouldn’t be doing this,” his raspy voice dripped with lust and uncertainty as his eyes scanned my exposed cleavages, “your father…”
“Shhh.” I stopped him mid-way, placing my finger on his soft lips, “We both want this. I have seen the way you look at me, Mr. Richard. Do not hold back now.” I whispered sultrily.
He swallowed hard and I saw him clench his well-chiseled jaws. I opened my mouth to continue my protest when all of a sudden, he grabbed me by the waist, pulled me closer and covered my lips with his in the hungriest manner ever.
My body melted, succumbing to his burning desire.
***
He was my father’s childhood best friend. He was always there for me since I lost my mother at the age of four. My father grieved hard and found it difficult to recover for many years, so Mr Richard was the father figure I had. However, he left the country after my thirteenth birthday and I almost forgot about him until he returned.
I had turned twenty-one and when I laid my eyes on him, all my childhood memories came rushing back. But that wasn’t all there was. I noticed how hot and sexy he looked for that age and how his gaze lingered way too long on my mature body.
And then, fate kept bringing us together, all I had to do was call on him. He was just being nice, right? Nothing more should have happened but my body refused to listen to my brain.
I wanted him! I wanted him around me all the time, I wanted him to whisper in my ears and punish me accordingly if I did something wrong… I wanted him INSIDE ME.
To prevent me from being jealous of my stepmother's son, my dad implemented a "family point system".
Washing dishes earned 1 point, and getting a perfect score on a test earned 10 points.
Accumulating 1000 points meant you could make a wish come true.
When my stepbrother broke a vase, Dad said it was a sign of good luck and awarded him 50 points.
When I insisted on going to school with a fever, Dad said I was trying to garner sympathy and deducted 100 points.
I scrambled to scrape together every point I could, all for that exorbitant Math Olympiad registration form.
On the day I finally accumulated enough points, my stepbrother cried and said he wanted a pair of limited-edition sneakers.
Dad immediately emptied my points. "We're family. Your points are your brother's points too."
I looked at the torn-up application form and jumped from the 18th-floor balcony.
" It is my wish that you marry Hazel", my father said to me in his letter, and now I have to get married to my childhood nemesis just to claim my inheritance.
When the murderer tortures me to death, my criminal investigator dad and chief forensic pathologist mom are cheering at my brother's match.
The criminal saws off my tongue. He answers my Dad's call with my finger.
Just before the call ends, Dad's cold voice cuts through. "Playing dead, huh? We should never have brought him back."
The murderer chuckles mockingly. "Looks like I grabbed the wrong kid. I thought they'd care more about their real son."
When Mom and Dad arrive at the crime scene later, they stare at the mutilated body in shock and rage at the murderer's cruelty.
But they never realize that the broken, bloodied body is their biological son.
My father was a senior HR executive.
He used KPIs to define my life.
"Rank top ten in your grade, and I'll give you a B, with a bonus of 250 dollars.
"Place in a state-level competition, and you'll get an A, with a bonus of 500.
"If your SAT score hits Ivy-level, I'll give you an S+ and a 5,000-dollar year-end bonus."
I studied as if my life depended on it, and in the end, I got the acceptance letter.
My father slapped a contract down in front of me instead.
"Congratulations on onboarding into the next phase. Starting today, your allowance will be structured as base salary plus performance plus attendance bonus.
"Base pay is 250 dollars a month, enough to keep you from starving.
"To prepare you for a high-pressure work environment, I’ll conduct random inspections. Fail, and your pay gets docked."
When I ran a 104°F fever, he cut my attendance bonus, saying my physical resilience didn't meet standards.
When I forgot to submit a weekly report because I was buried in schoolwork, he froze all my money.
To stay alive, I went behind his back and sold blood at the hospital.
At the end of the semester, I held my transcript and scholarship certificate, thinking I had finally earned the highest rating.
But my father looked at me without a trace of warmth.
"Your S+ bonus has been reallocated. The company decided to invest it in your brother, Harry. He has more potential."
I looked at the 100-dollar "consolation prize" he handed me and laughed.
So in his company, I didn't even qualify as an "outstanding employee."
I'm at a job interview at a major company. One of the interviewers is my father, Edgar Booker, whom I haven't seen in ten years.
He wears a sharp suit and carries himself with an imposing presence.
When he sweeps his indifferent gaze over me, he pauses for a rare moment.
After the interview ends, the HR manager, Jesse Dorsey, pulls me aside.
"You're Mr. Booker's son, right? He says you can start next week."
I smile faintly and slowly tear up the offer letter.
"No, thanks. I don't want to work with a murderer."
Growing up, my dad always emphasized the importance of stability, pushing me toward careers like medicine or engineering. But my heart wasn’t in it—I spent hours doodling characters from 'One Piece' and writing fanfiction instead. The turning point was when I stumbled upon a behind-the-scenes documentary about Studio Ghibli. Seeing how art could move people made me realize I wanted to work in animation, even if it meant defying expectations. I enrolled in a digital arts program secretly at first, then showed my dad a short film I’d animated. His silence scared me, but later he just said, 'You’ll need thicker skin for critiques.' Not approval, but not rejection either. Now, every time I see my name in credits, I think about how choosing passion over fear was the first real adult decision I made.
What’s funny is that my dad eventually became my biggest cheerleader—he even brags to his friends about 'my kid who draws those fancy cartoons.' It taught me that sometimes, parents just need time to adjust to the idea that happiness doesn’t always look the way they imagined.
Back in high school, my dad sat me down with this intense look and presented two options: pursue a 'safe' career like accounting or follow my messy passion for writing. At the time, the weight of that choice felt like picking between oxygen and sunlight. I agonized for weeks, scribbling pros and cons in margins of my notebooks. What finally tipped the scales was rewatching 'Dead Poets Society'—that scene where Todd Anderson rips the textbook page? Yeah, cliché as it sounds, it made me realize I’d rather regret trying than wonder 'what if.' Now, five years into freelance journalism, I still have moments of doubt, but the thrill of seeing my byline on a piece I care about? Worth every late-night edit.
Dad eventually came around too. Last Christmas, he framed one of my articles and hung it beside his engineering diplomas. Funny how life circles back.
The moment my dad dropped that bombshell—pick between my siblings—my stomach twisted into knots. It wasn’t just unfair; it felt like emotional sabotage. I grew up in a household where loyalty was everything, so this demand shattered me. Instead of answering immediately, I asked him why he’d even pose such a question. Turns out, he was testing my ability to make 'tough decisions,' but all it did was make me resent the setup. I ended up refusing to engage, telling him love isn’t a competition. We didn’t speak for days, but I stand by that choice. Sometimes silence speaks louder than picking sides.
Looking back, I realize how manipulative the situation was. It’s not about favoring one sibling over another; it’s about recognizing that relationships aren’t transactional. I’ve since talked to both my brother and sister about it, and we agreed it was a messed-up scenario. Funny how a parent’s attempt to teach 'strength' can backfire into a lesson about boundaries instead.