You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 966

Oliver logged off first, then guided his little girl to stand in front of him. She tried to be cute, reaching out and calling, “Daddy,” hoping for a hug. Oliver didn’t yell. He didn’t scold her either. He just sat in his chair, watching her with eyes that seemed colder than ice.

The way he stared made her feel so uncomfortable she could hardly stand still. “Da... Daddy, you’re busy. I think I’ll just go,” she stammered, already inching toward the door.

“Hope, go ahead and try leaving this room today. See what happens.”

She fidgeted, twisting her fingers, uncertain and a little scared. She’d never seen her father like this before.

“Daddy’s told you so many times. Both Mommy and Daddy have work, right?”

“Yes,” she answered, voice barely above a whisper.

“So what did you do?”

She didn’t answer, just looked down at her toes.

“You like being around Daddy so much? Then you can stand right here and wait. When I’m done working, you can go to bed.”

His voice was dangerously soft. “I’m very angry today. If you move even a little, I can’t promise I won’t come over there and kick you.”

So Oliver kept working through his meeting until one in the morning, and Hope stood there the whole time. Every time she started to wobble or looked like she was about to collapse, all it took was a cold look from her dad to snap her back to attention.

Not until one thirty-five did Mr. Padilla finally finish. He gave her a long, heavy look. Only then did she dare to move.

Usually at bedtime she would beg for stories and cuddles, but not that night. She crawled into bed and fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

The next morning at seven, Patricia tried to wake her up. Hope threw a fit.

“Sweetie, you’re going to be late.”

“I’m tired! I want to sleep, Mommy.”

“Come on, be good.”

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