12th Excerpt of Ellory, a fiction novel
Ellen Effy Su. August 28, 2025.
“Dad, why are you calling me? Did something happen?”
“Elliot, why does there need to be something wrong for me to call you? I’m your father. Don’t you want to talk to me?”
“Not particularly right now. Does Mum know you cheated on her?”
“Whose side are you on? Your mother’s been difficult to deal with, and I made a mistake once. Let it go. She’s happy now. We don’t need to bring it up again.”
“Oh, she knows? She’s still staying? I can’t believe you made her believe you’re the only person she could ever love. She deserves better than you.”
“Oh God, when you become someone’s husband and let off steam a few times, you’ll understand me. Spare me the dramatics. You’re still a little boy. I’m the man of the house. I’m the one who gave you the life you had. I put you through school. You don’t get to criticize me.”
“You’ll get the respect you give. Father, you’re an absolute menace to society. You cosplay as some charming pseudo-intellect when you’re an asshole in private. You haven’t been the man of the house for a long time. I haven’t taken money from you in years because I want to be free of you. You can’t control me anymore. Mum is going to leave you the way I left you. You’ll see it one day. Your money won’t protect you from losing the people you love.”
“Son, I don’t think you should be speaking to me like that. I am dying of pancreatic cancer. I cheated a few times over the course of 25 years. Grow up. If your mother can forgive me, so can you. Don’t end it like this.”
“It serves you right, Dad. You were a shitty father, and your only regret is not cheating more often. You never raised me or my brother. We were raised by our mum. She was a saint for forgiving you all those times. Now that I’m an adult, I see it clearly. She kept it together for us to have the perfect family. You don’t get to guilt-trip me anymore. I’m not going to see you in the hospital. I’m not going to bend for you.”
“Don’t say that. You know I love you. You’re my favorite boy. Your brother is an idiot. You are the one most like me. We used to be close, son. Come home to see me once. I’ll make it worth it. I swear I’ve changed. It’s not just cancer that has changed me. I have realized the impact of my mistakes. I love you, Elli. Please don’t hate me.”
“Dad, hate would imply there was once love. I don’t think you’re capable of love. If you were capable of love, you would have never cheated on the love of your life and the mother of your children. You never would have expected me to lie about it to protect Mum from your secrets. I wasn’t the one who told her. Your younger son saw you and Ashley snogging in the foyer. He was eleven. He thought Mum would leave you then. I don’t know how she forgave you, but you failed her over and over. You’re not a man. You’re a coward, Henry. I’m not going to see you until you’re in the box. This is what you chose.”
“Elliot, how can you say that we never had any good memories? I tried my best to parent you. Please come home. I won’t be here in six months, or possibly less.”
“I hope you prepared everything for your funeral. I’m not going to plan your arrangements. You should call Jason to see if he still wants to be your son.”
Elliot pressed the red button on his Apple Watch Series 10 to hang up on the last call between him and his father.
“Are you okay? I didn’t know you and your dad had an estranged relationship.”
“I’m fine. I’m sorry you had to hear that. My father thinks everyone should forgive him and support him through his last few months of life. He spent his life making us miserable, controlling us through money, and threatening to take away our privileges. He played us like Marionette dolls. He repeatedly lied to my mother, telling her he would never betray her again. He’s incapable of keeping his dick dry for longer than a week. He is a serial cheater and a bastard of a father. I don’t see a reason to see him anymore.”
“My dad cheated on my mom, too. They’re still married, but there is undeniable tension between them. They are extremely distant and never talk like best friends. They fight like two passionate teenagers. They will never be the same again. I thought your parents were in love. Was that a white lie?”
“Yes and no. They were in love for many years before my dad started wanting younger women. I shouldn’t have lied to you, but I wanted to comfort you. I wanted you to believe in the hope of love, so you would give me a chance to change your mind. Just because our parents couldn’t maintain their relationships doesn’t mean we will make their mistakes. We’ve learned and lost, as children. I think it makes us better at understanding love.”
“There is truth in that. I think you should see your dad once before he goes. You’ll regret not getting to shout at him to let it out. Maybe he is a broken man, but he loves you in a way no one else can. You don’t need to forgive him to see him at the hospital. I’ll come with you. I’m good at dissolving tense parents. I dealt with a drunk maniac who shattered glasses and crystal when he was angry or sad. I took care of my father my entire childhood. I know a thing or two about calming down angry men.”
“I’m sorry your dad drank. Mine did, but he didn’t do it at home. I was a bit shielded away from my parents’ dynamic by hiding out at boarding school. I never wanted to be at home. I was unhappy as a teenager. I’ve always tried to conceal my past life. I never wanted to feel that insecure again.”
“My dad went through a lot. We all went through it. I think sometimes we choose to become our worst selves after sudden, unexpected grief. Life will never be the same again. I don’t know why we cannot stop the clock. I’d go back in life all the damn time. I wish I snitched on Sfera when I had the chance. Maybe Dad would have sent her to rehab, and she would still be alive. I live with a lot of self-doubt, regret, and pain. I want to punch the mirror because I see her face in my reflection. I feel like a living ghost. I struggle to move on. I’m constantly reminded of what I should have done.”
“We all have a past. You being scared of intimacy and rejecting boys and men has everything to do with fear of letting someone in. You’re scared of commitment. You worry about the future, the present, and the past. You don’t need to have the answers. You’re smarter than I was at 21. You try all the time to bridge your parents together. I gave up when I was fifteen. You started living passionately when you were fifteen. You’re stronger than I was. You’re brave, and no one knows how much suffering you survived. I see you.”
“I wish we had met earlier. We could have saved each other from a lot.”
“That would be illegal, Ellory. I am three years older. I was eighteen the year you were fifteen. You raise your eyebrows at age gap romances.”
“Well, maybe we could have been friends. I wouldn’t have liked watching you date other girls. I think we met at the right time. I wasn’t always this kind.”
“I missed out on a lot. So, when do you want to go to London? I’m thinking we can fly out next Monday.”
“Sure, are you booking the flight?”
“Yeah, of course. We’re going to my hometown. We’re flying first-class. We’ll need to relax before seeing my uptight father.”
“Let’s stay for a week. I want to explore a bit. I haven’t been to London yet.”
“That’s cool. We’ll stay at my mum’s house. She’ll be happy to see us. She hasn’t seen me in a year.”
“You want me to stay with you? In your childhood home?”
“Are you afraid of close proximity? My mum’s quite tame. You’ll like her.”
“I don’t know if that’s wise. I thought we would be staying at a hotel.”
“Ella, they will like you. You’re the one I’m bringing home.”
“Yes, but what if they like your ex more?”
“I’ve never brought anyone home before. You’ll be fine. My dad is annoying, and my mum is fun. She had a wild side before she became a mother. You’ll like her. Keep your distance from my dad. I can’t prevent him from saying something offensive.”
“Damn, alright. I won’t be near your dad one-on-one. I think Vivian will be fine, right? Should we ask Kellen to babysit her?”
“Yeah, call Kellen and ask him to babysit a twenty-five-year-old woman. That sounds suspicious.”
“Well, I do want the two of them to spend more time together again. Kellen needs to lick his wounds and forget about Beth. Vivian will be good for his mental state.”
“It’s as you see fit. Viv has been through an ordeal. Kellen wants to feel like a savior, so let him save her. We’ll enjoy our trip.”
“Perfect. I’ll call Kellen.”