Page 295 of Tell Me I'm Enough

I instantly want to hang up the phone and throw it across the room.

Instead, I try to breathe and not let him get to me.

“It’s not,” I say nervously.

There’s a pause.

“Why not?”he asks sharply.

“Because I’m not going.”

He laughs on the other end.“Funny. Well, you’d better start that packing. You have a flight booked for Friday since I’m using the plane.”

“I’m serious, Dad. I’m not going to whatever rehab you have picked out. If I’m doing any kind of program, it’ll be on my terms. And…”

I pause, trying to get the courage to get it all out in one blow.

“I’m not doing the internship anymore either. I’m not going to pursue business classes anymore.”

The pause on his end is so long, I have to check my phone to make sure it didn’t disconnect.

“What the hell are you talking about, Mason?”he snaps.

My heart starts to pound so hard I can feel it in my throat.

“I switched my major,” I continue, forcing the words out.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m…I’m not taking over the company anymore.”

“You think this is funny?”he says.

“No.”

“You’re just going to throw away your future—the one I’m handing you—because what? Because you would rather nurse a damn bottle instead and can’t handle growing the hell up?”

“It’smyfuture.”

“It’s my money,” he fires back.“My name. My firm.”

“I don’t want it.”

His laugh is cold.“This is all a joke, right?”

“No…it’s not.”

“I’ve invested in you for all these years, and this is how you repay me? This is a spit in the face, Mason.”He lets out a long breath that sounds irritated.“No. You’re not pulling this crap. You’re getting on that plane, you’re doing what I’ve asked of you, and I’ll handle the shit storm you’ve created with your classes. We’ll fix this.”

“No. I’m not changing my mind. No matter what you say or threaten.”

“Okay,”he says calmly.“So you’re okay with getting completely cut off then?”

“I guess so,” I tell him, rubbing the back of my neck, staring at all the bottles on my nightstand.

“No access to my money, no tuition, no Sigma Chi fees, no paying your bills, nothing…you understand that?”

“Yeah…I understand,” I say quietly, finally accepting it myself.