Christine's father did not say a thing. He stared at his daughter in disbelief. Speechless. Sure. When he got the call that she needed to be picked up from some fraternity party, he expected her to have had some typical college fun--drink some beer and dance to some music--, but never would he have thought to find her like this. In such a disgraceful state. Someone he could barely even recognize. And apparently, according to the messily handwritten sign taped on the wall next to the door, a 'free-use cumdumpster'.
"We will talk at home." Christine's dad tried his hardest not to yell in that moment. Instead, he curtly motioned for her to hurry up and get moving before he proceeded to make his way downstairs.
Christine scrambled and took Lionel's clothes to wear before catching up with her father.
To say the car ride home was awkward would be a gross understatement. Christine did not dare speak a word the whole time. And he could not find the words to even begin. There was so much to be said on both sides but the father and daughter were completely stumped by the circumstance.
After thirty minutes, the two finally reached the apartment complex. Still no words were exchanged as the father and daughter walked into the apartment. Christine did not even glance in her father's direction. She kept her eyes fixed to the ground.
"Sit," her father commanded in Vietnamese after putting down his keys and wallet.
She obeyed. Christine slowly trudged towards the couch and sat on the farthest cushion.
"Do you know how hard it is to pay for everything? Tuition? Rent? Food?" He started to pace around the coffee table. "Do you think it's easy sending you to that college?"
Christine kept her head hung low. "No, daddy."
"I don't think you understand how hard it is for your mom and I to put you through college." Her father stopped and sat on the opposite end of the couch. "I have to put in so many extra hours at the factory and your mom... Your mom has to--"
"Stop," Christine interrupted softly, "Please. Please don't mention that. I know..."
He didn't heed her request. "No. You don't get to do that. Do you know how many men your mom has to... touch... at the massage parlor?"
"Please stop..." Christine pleaded tearfully.
His voice got a little softer. "How many times a day she has to rinse out her mouth to get that foul taste out?"
"Daddy, please..." she begged while crying.
His voice cracked a little. "How many times she came home with her jaw so aching and throat so sore that she would rather skip dinner? How many times she--"
"PLEASE STOP!" she cried out with hands covering her ears and tears streaming down her face.
Christine's father pushed himself off the couch and turned his back to his daughter. "I don't know what happened to you, Christine." He struggled to keep his composure. "You were supposed to be better than this."
She hated herself more than ever hearing that come out from her own father. There were so many things she wanted to say in that moment, but nothing came out of her trembling lips. Instead, she asked herself: 'how did it come to this?'
"I have to get going," her father said in Vietnamese as he walked towards the door. His footsteps slowed down the closer he got to the exit. "I have a long shift, so I'll be home late... And don't worry. I won't tell your mom."
Christine looked away. On one hand, she was glad that her mother would be spared from knowing of her depravity; on the other hand, it showed just how ashamed he was of her. The girl asked herself: 'how did this happen to me?'
Then, just as her father was about to turn the door knob to leave, a curious question came to her. "Daddy? Did someone ask you to pick me up?"
"Your friend, Faye," he responded before heading out, not thinking anything of the question.
***