The sound of knocking on my apartment door woke me from pleasant dreams, and I fought the desire to groan as I buried my head under my pillow. The knocking persisted, and irritation flowed through me as my cellphone began to ring.

I threw my pillow off of my head, lurching upright and lumbering towards my phone. I swiped it up, answering it in the kindest tone I could muster.

“What?” I demanded, and it turned out the kindest tone I could muster wasn’t very kind at all.

I heard a stuttering and stammering on the line, and I scowled in the direction of the door as the knocking continued.

“Hold on a minute!” I shouted in the direction of the front door, not bothering to draw the phone away from my ear.

“I’m sorry, honey. I can call back…” my father muttered, and as much as I wanted to tell him to call very much later, I swallowed my annoyance long enough to speak to him.

“No, Dad. Not you. Someone is at the door,” I grumbled, grabbing a robe and pulling it on. I tied it around my waist, keeping my phone against my ear with my shoulder.

“Oh! That’s probably Bruno. I’ll hold on while you answer,” my father replied.

I rolled my eyes, slipping my bedroom shoes on and shuffling across the apartment to peer out the peephole. I scowled as I saw the man in question waiting outside with a large bouquet of flowers.

I yanked the door open, and Bruno smiled nervously, thrusting out the flowers and beginning to sing happy birthday completely off-key. I winced, and my dad cheered on the phone.

“What’s all this for?” I asked balefully, reaching out to take the flowers before closing the door in Bruno’s face mid-song.

I grumbled as I sought out a vase for the flowers, which were already wilting in the Guam heat.

“It’s your birthday, honey! Did he give you the box as well?” my father asked, and I could almost see his grin through the phone.

At that exact moment, the knocking on my door resumed and I gritted my teeth before rushing back over to yank it open. Bruno smiled nervously, offering me a birthday card as well as a large jewelry box.

“Is that all?” I asked, and he nodded before taking the hint and shuffling away.

I watched him go, flipping the card open and reading the message inside.

“Aww, Dad, this is so nice,” I forced out.

“Did you open the box?” he pressed, and I turned my attention to the large jewelry box.

I popped the top open, feeling a brief surge of delight when I saw the necklace housed within. It was probably worth at least ten grand, considering the gold and precious gems that all swirled together to form a rainbow. I nearly dropped my phone as I considered the present, blurting out my thanks without even thinking.

“Oh my God, Dad. It’s so beautiful,” I babbled, and he laughed unabashedly.

“A beautiful necklace for my beautiful girl,” he crooned.

I smiled initially, but a sense of bitterness crept up on me all too quickly when I realized that no one would ever see me in the necklace—rendering it practically useless.

“Th-thank you,” I managed, only able to feel somewhat grateful.

At the very least, the necklace would match the outfit I’d picked for the evening. If it was anything like every other birthday I’d celebrated since age fourteen, my dad would insist upon taking me out to a fancy dinner, with the day leading up to that filled with people coming in to primp and pamper me.

Truthfully, I’d have been just as happy with a simple chocolate cake with fudge frosting. I missed the quaint birthdays I’d had as a child, where my mom would buy a cake from someone who would always misspell something, and we’d wear silly party hats and play games with my school friends.

“I’m glad you like it, dear. I was driving myself insane trying to find the perfect gift. You’re turning 21, so it’s only appropriate that I get you an exquisite present.” He paused, seeming to think for a moment before speaking again.

“Oh, shoot, I should have gotten the earrings as well. They weren’t a set, so I didn’t buy them, but I’m sure you would have loved them,” he announced, sounding much like he was pouting.

“It’s fine, Dad. It’s a perfect gift as it stands,” I tried to comfort him.

He sighed, humming under his breath for a moment before speaking again.

“Well, if you’ll meet me downstairs in twenty minutes, I thought we could go to that breakfast place you like so much,” he offered, likely all smiles again.

“Oh, that’s great. I’ll be down shortly,” I said with false enthusiasm. “I’m just gonna take a quick bath. Bye, Dad,” I said in a hurry, hanging up before he could argue. It would be one thing if my father was taking me out alone, but I knew he would have a dozen security guards following us the entire time.

Walking towards the closet, I flung the doors open and grabbed a pale blue sundress, yanking it out of the closet and carrying it with my socks and underwear to the bathroom.

I set my clothes on the counter, placing the necklace beside them. I stared into the mirror for a moment, my eyes dull with resentment. Sighing, I turned on the hot water for the bath and waited for it to fill up.

Sitting on the edge of the tub, I rested my chin in my palm and allowed the room to steam up before stepping into the water. My cheek still throbbed a little from my father’s slap, but the hot sting of the water distracted from the pain.

I thought of the night before—more specifically, the knight before—and a tingle shot from my stomach down between my thighs.

I breathed a sigh, trying to ignore the fluttering sensation. I knew that the moment I started to enjoy myself, I would somehow be interrupted. Bruno likely would have forgotten a gift, or my father would have sent him back to sing the birthday song over again.

All the same, I couldn’t resist allowing my hand to slip between my thighs for the briefest of moments. As I pressed my fingers against myself, I closed my eyes and allowed the world around me to fade away.

Unfortunately, that godforsaken phone began to loudly ring again, and it was a sound I couldn’t ignore. If it was my father, and if I didn’t answer, he would send the whole security team up here to check on me. I quickly rinsed off, skidding across the bathroom floor and nearly slipping on the wet tile before managing to grab my phone.

I answered quickly, more flustered and out of breath than I would have liked.

“Honey, are you almost ready? I’ve made reservations,” my father implored.

I hesitated a moment before replying.

“Why did you need to make reservations? There’s always plenty of tables at the cafe,” I inquired softly.

“I made reservations for all our destinations today! Besides you and I, the only other company we’ll have will be security, I just want to spend some alone time with my special girl,” he chirped.

I rolled my eyes, shuffling back to the bathroom. Leave it to my father to do something extravagant and unnecessary. I glanced at the necklace as I stepped in the bathroom, giving pause as I wondered just how much I would be able to pawn it for. My father controlled my finances, which made it difficult to plan an escape.

If he didn’t know about the funds, however, I would be free to catch a flight to the States with little issue. I smiled to myself, not realizing I was still on the phone with my father. He cleared his throat, and my face dropped as I realized the gravity of the decision I was making.

If I decided to leave Guam for the U.S., I’d likely never see my father again. I would have to start anew, get a job, find an apartment…

Starting from scratch would be my only viable option. Just the same, it was a better option than being trapped under my father’s thumb for the rest of my life. I was tired of not being able to live freely. I would miss him, and in spite of everything, I still loved him dearly.

Resolving that I would be kind to him for the last day I saw him, I forced a laugh and offered him some reassurance.

“Sorry, Dad. I’ll be down in five. Don’t leave without me, all right?” I joked, grabbing my dress from the bathroom counter.

“I would never leave you, honey,” he chuckled, and my heart throbbed almost painfully.

Swallowing my hesitation, I hung up the phone and got dressed. Placing the necklace around my neck, I noted that it suited me beautifully. It seemed as if my father knew me even better than I did.

At least, he seemed to think so. Maybe I would be making a grave mistake by leaving him behind.

It was a risk I was willing to take.