Every Time He Climbed

Summary

My father threatened to kill himself three times to control my life.

The first time was when I was applying to college. He climbed onto the roof and demanded that I turn down offers from prestigious out-of-state universities and enroll at a local state college instead.

I gave in.

Even though my grades were good enough to earn a place at one of the country's top universities, I ended up staying in my hometown.

The second time came after I graduated from college.

I had landed a job with a company in a major city and was ready to finally build a life of my own.