The Secret by Shelby Litt, Karue Hall (if you liked this book .txt) 📕

“Nope,” I say, not wanting to go do my chores.  My little brother walks quietly into the room. He really looked shaken up.  “What’s wrong Jeremy?” my mom says sweetly, despite yelling at me literally five minutes ago.  My little brother responds “I had a nightmare.” “Guessed it,” I laughed loudly. My mom looked at me with the Death Glare. You know, the one every mom uses when you upset them. 

I’m grounded, definitely grounded. “It’s okay sweetie. Let’s get you back to bed.”  I seriously hated when her emotions change instantaneously.  Whenever Jeremey is involved I always get overlooked. I’m always second.  

Hi, I’m Alex Igarashi, and my father is the richest man in the country. Yet I live in a rundown apartment. I mean I’m not complaining. I have a roof over my head and I’m grateful for that.

My father decided to move out when I was ten. Jeremey wasn’t even born yet. My father doesn’t even know he has a freakin’ son. Jeremey is living without a father.  I’m not looking for your sympathy, trust me I have gotten enough sympathy in my life that I eat it for breakfast.  My father loved me but hated my mom for some reason.  Neither of them would tell me why they hate each other no matter how many times I ask.

I’m still in contact with my father.  He lives in a very high-class neighborhood, whilst I live in a very rundown and old neighborhood.  My father always is asking me to come live with him but I always decline.  My mom is struggling and I’m trying to find a job to help her. The only job I can find is a job at a cafe.  The cafe isn’t too bad for pay but we would still need a lot more if we want to live better.  

I’m trying to balance school and work, along with trying to help mom with Jeremy.  Jeremey’s only five.  I’m currently fifteen and trying to support my family.  I am pretty smart but I can’t get a good school due to money.  Still, I try to help my family in as many ways as I can.  

I do try to help my social reputation.  I’m one of those girls that attract all the guys. Not due to money but looks.  I’m also the type that doesn’t often.  I do try to make people happy but people may try to take advantage of that.  So far nobody has done that but I am willing to bet that it will be my father.  

Nobody can predict what he’ll do.  He is an expressionless man.  The only time he will show is when he gets what he wants.  Which is almost always.  He is rich enough and has the looks to pull anything off.  My father has gotten arrested multiple times, or at least when I was younger I don’t know about now.  Yet he hasn’t been in jail.  He always buys himself out and pays the press to keep it under wraps.  I hate that about him. He always thinks that he can get away with anything.  Little does he know I’m going to find out his secret and become a reporter and release it out to the world.  No amount of money can stop me, even if it’s the last thing I do.

I have a few ideas of what it could be.  Maybe he was abusing my mother, or maybe he committed 1st degree murder. Nobody knows except my mom and father.  That's what I'm trying to solve.

Maybe I can do it by the time my birthday rolls around, which is in December. It’s currently June.  I have six months.  This should be enough time, hopefully.  Now is the time to decide whether I should ask my mom or father first.  I choose my mom.  The longer I can avoid my father the better.  My plan should hopefully work.  I’m going to ask why dad left.  She usually answers but now I can read facial expressions a lot better now.  Typically she uses a sad and depressed face but if you look at her eyes you will see an entirely different story. 

“Mom, why did dad leave?” I asked innocently.  My mom paused, “He, um he was a very stubborn man.  Why do you ask?”  Uh-oh, I didn't think that she would ask.  Wait, that was an entirely different answer than she usually gives me.  “I was just curious,” I lied through clenched teeth.  “You were always curious, but I have already answered that question,” she said kindly.  Our conversation got interrupted before I could answer.  “Dad?” Jeremey asked curiously.

This is unexpected.  We both were at a total loss for words.  How were we supposed to answer this?  Tell him that dad’s dead? Maybe tell him that dad was in jail?  No that would hurt him a lot more than telling him that dad left us before he was born.

“Dad went to go get milk,” I joked.  “It takes mommy thirty minutes to go get milk.”  This kid is seriously unable to take a joke. “Why does daddy take years?” my little brother says.  “She’s joking. Right?” my mom says using the death glare, again.  “Hehe yeah I am.”  I’m literally sweating.  She really needs to stop glaring at me all the time.  “Daddy had to leave,” my mom said, with a hint of anger towards me or my father.

“Oh, ok.  When will he be back?”

I feel bad for the kid.  Now the only thing he knows is that his father had to leave for an “Indefinite amount of time,” my mom says.  Jeremey starts bawling his eyes out.  “I just want to meet daddy.”  You really don’t kid.  “He’ll be back someday,” I lie happily knowing that he won’t meet the idiot of a father we have.

Fast forward one uneventful week.  So, I got nothing out of my mom.  Which means, my father is next.  I have been dreading this moment since the day he left.  I open up my email and click on compose a new message. I choose to send a message through his work email.  [email protected], great now what to say.

Hello dad.  I just wanted to ask, why did you leave me and mom?  You also have a freakin’ son wanting to meet you.  You are what I consider the worst father ever.  Take that as a compliment.

                        -Alex

Sent.  I’m expecting a reply in about 24 hours.  That’s reasonable, right?  No it really isn’t.  You would think someone begging for me to come live with them would respond pretty quick, but I used his work email.  He gets hundreds of emails a day, and somehow responds to them all.  I have a feeling we are going to get a surprise visit from Mr.Dereck Igarashi.  This may or may not be the first time he was told he has a son.  This should be fun.

I got my reply in 10 minutes.  That’s a record for him.

Hello.  I have a question for you.  Why did you use my work email?  I have a son?  I am not the worst father ever, I’m the best.

-Your Father

Of course.  He thinks he’s the best father ever.  His son is living a life without a father and he doesn't care.  That’s low, even for him.

I walk into Jeremey’s room.  “Hey I just want you to know you really don’t want to meet dad.  He’s a very bad man.” I say as sweet as possible.  Jermey looks at me confused.  “Why would I want to meet dad?  I know who he is.” 

Wait, he shouldn’t know who he is.  He was born five months after dad left.  “He’s the rich man in the magazine that you always look at.” Jeremey says confidently, surprisingly.  I stand there shocked.  How does he know?  Yes, I do scowl at the magazine when I see him from time to time, but it’s not very noticeable.  Let’s see if I can get anything out of him.

“How do you know that?” I say slightly concerned.

“It’s pretty obvious if you think about it.  You only get mad at mommy.” he said innocently.

This kid is insane for a five-year old, but he has a point.  I almost never get mad.  Someone give this kid a prize for being so observant.