Cop's Daughter Learns Guy Is Dating Her Only to Take Revenge on Her Dad – Story of the Day

A chance encounter with the cop who mocked him gives James the perfect idea to exact revenge. All he needs to do now is track down the cop's daughter and get her alone.

"Hey bro," James's friend Brandon punched him on the shoulder. "Check it out. Aint that the cop who shoved your face in bird poo last time we hung out at Ray's?"

"Didn't I tell you to forget that?" James cuffed the back of Brandon's head and turned to follow his friend's gaze.

"Ooh, and check out the hottie with him! Isn't she a girl from your college?" Brandon sniffed and wiped at his nose with one hand as he rose from his seat. "Let's go mess with them."

"That's definitely his daughter," James told Brandon as they followed the cop outside. The woman's hair was a slightly darker shade of red, but the resemblance in their faces was hard to miss when they turned to speak to each other.

"Even better." Brandon rubbed his hands together.

The cop glanced back then, and his eyes narrowed when he spotted James and Brandon. He kissed his daughter on the cheek, helped her into a cab, and turned to face the two young men.

"Yo, Mr. Five-Oh, your daughter is a whole snack. I'd like to get to know her better." James gyrated his hips suggestively.

"Birdman, you wouldn't stand a chance." The cop snorted and looked him up and down derisively.

"You are trash, and girls like my daughter don't look for men in the dirt."

"Birdman!" Brandon doubled over with laughter.

"What did you call me?" James squared his shoulders and closed in on the cop.

The cop grinned. "If you and your buddy here put your heads together you might have two brain cells left between you to figure it out, Birdman."

James watched the cop swagger away, then spun around and kicked a trash can. As he watched the empty takeout containers spill across the sidewalk, he had an idea. He knew exactly how to get back at that jerk in blue.

Two weeks later, Brandon and James stood together on the sidewalk opposite a popular coffee shop on South Blackstone Street.

"Just like I said, Thursdays at quarter to eleven, she's in there drinking some fancy frappe-mache-latte something," Brandon said. He bounced from one foot to the other as he pointed to the coffee shop window.

James nodded. He watched the cop's daughter sip from her cup before turning a page in the book she was reading. He then turned back to his friend, gave him a fistbump, and crossed the street to enter the coffee shop.

James went straight to the girl's table and tapped her gently on the shoulder. She looked up at him with the greenest eyes he'd ever seen. It took James a moment to remember why he was there.

"Sorry to disturb you, but I think that guy over there is checking you out." James pointed out the window to where Brandon stood.

As soon as he noticed James and the girl watching him through the window, Brandon pretended to look away and act cool.

"Are you sure?" The girl smiled and looked James up and down. "Maybe he's checking you out."

James laughed. "No chance of that. I'm not much to look at, but you? You look like you just came out of the oven."

The girl blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear as she glanced down. James showed Brandon a thumbs-up through the window and sat down across from her.

"Hope you don't mind me joining you. I'm James."

"I'm Sarah."

Sarah's hand was warm and soft in his when James shook her hand. "Haven't I seen you around campus?"

The time flew by as James and Sarah got to know each other. She was a sweet girl, James realized, with a witty sense of humor. They laughed at each other's jokes, and James could tell by her shy smile and the sparkle in her eye that Sarah was into him.

This would be almost too easy. After a while, James said he had to leave and asked Sarah on a date for that weekend. She blushed the entire time they were arranging where to meet. As James left the coffee shop, he typed a message to Brandon: Step one complete. She's mine.

Sarah was already waiting when James arrived at the Shakespeare Theatre. He stopped a few paces away to admire how good she looked in her plain skirt and off-the-shoulder shirt. The afternoon sun highlighted strands of gold in her long, red hair, and when she saw him and smiled...dang.

"You look amazing," James said when he greeted her. "I brought you something, but now I think it's kind of silly."

James made as if to throw away the flower he brought for Sarah, but she wouldn't hear of it. It was just a simple daisy, but her face lit up when she saw it. She thanked him profusely and tucked it behind her ear.

They walked arm-in-arm along Navy Pier to the restaurant where James had booked them a table. The open-air seating and elegant but simple decor created a perfect first-date atmosphere. Just as he'd expected, Sarah was instantly enchanted by the views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline.

"I can't believe I've never been to this place before," Sarah sighed as she looked out at the city. "It's amazing."

"I'm glad to be the first guy to bring you here." James smiled and gently took Sarah's hand in his. "I hope to make this a night you'll never forget."

After dinner, James led Sarah to the funhouse maze. They laughed and pulled faces at the mirrors, and James held Sarah close when they navigated the spinning tunnel.

"That was so much fun!" Sarah said when they exited. "I haven't been to the carnival attractions here since I was a kid. I'd forgotten how magical it could feel."

"I know the best spots for magic." James smiled and took Sarah's hand. "Just follow me."

They went on the carousel next, and Sarah laughed at James as he joked around. Then, they got in line for the Centennial Wheel.

As the Ferris wheel ascended, Sarah shivered. James slid closer and put his arm around her shoulders.

"I don't think I could ever get tired of this view," Sarah said.

"Me neither," James replied. The wind swept Sarah's hair away from her face, and he was struck by how the city lights reflected in her eyes.

"You're looking at me, silly." Sarah playfully slapped his chest. "The view is out there."

"I disagree." James leaned in closer, but just then, his phone rang.

James immediately snapped out of it. He'd almost forgotten why he'd brought Sarah here in the first place! James answered his phone and heard Brandon's voice on the other side.

"Ray's place is bopping, bro! I thought you'd be here by now. Did you skip straight to step three or something?"

"Hey, my man." James side-eyed Sarah, who was looking out over the lake. "No, I don't know if I can make it. I'll have to ask my date."

"So we're still on track, cool!" Brandon hung up.

"Hey, Sarah," James turned to look at her as he put his phone away, "Do you feel like going to a party after this?"

Sarah smiled brightly. "Sure!"

When the Ferris wheel returned them to Earth, James got an Uber to take him and Sarah to his friend Ray's house. She seemed uncertain when she heard James give the driver an address in Englewood, but he soon reassured her.

"It's not as dangerous as people think," James said. "Besides, I'll be there to protect you."

All of Sarah's trepidation faded away after a few drinks. She and James danced to the thumping music and had a great time with his friends. Every time Sarah's cup ran empty, James ensured she got a refill.

"I'm not feeling so good," Sarah said a few hours later. She was leaning heavily on James and had a hand pressed to her forehead.

"Don't worry, baby, I'll take care of you."

James smiled and lifted Sarah into his arms.

"You're so amazing, James." Sarah smiled drunkenly at him. "I'm so happy I met you. I like you so much."

Sarah leaned her head against James's shoulder and passed out immediately. He nodded to Brandon across the room. It was time for step three.

Once James reached his apartment, he set Sarah down on his bed and turned on the lights. She looked so peaceful. She also looked so much like her dirtbag father.

"Guess it's time for your photoshoot, baby," James said as he reached for the ribbon tie on the front of Sarah's shirt.

"I'm so dead!"

James woke up and rubbed his eyes. He'd slept on the sofa but could clearly hear Sarah moving around in his bedroom. She emerged just as he sat up.

"Hey," Sarah greeted him nervously. "I guess I overdid it last night."

"It happens to the best of us." James stood and stretched.

"I guess." Sarah eyed him nervously and licked her lips. "Uh...you slept out here, right? I mean, that's what it looks like, and I woke up in there so..."

James chuckled. "Nothing happened, Sarah. I told you I'd look after you, didn't I?"

"Of course!" She smiled brightly. "I didn't mean to imply...well, you know. Wow, I'm making this awkward. I've got to go because my dad is definitely going to kill me for being out all night but first..."

Sarah walked up to James and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for taking care of me, James."

Later that day, James sat on his sofa and flipped through the photos he'd gotten printed at the mall. Every one of them showed Sarah in a compromising or suggestive pose. He studied one which showed his hand spread across Sarah's belly.

James chuckled as he put the photo in an envelope lying on the coffee table. He then wrote out a note:

'Daddy’s little girl liked her roll in the trash.'

"That’s going to leave a burn on Mr. Five-Oh," James muttered as he placed the note in the envelope and sealed it. Brandon had gotten the cop's address, and James now wrote it on the front.

He tucked the remaining photos away in the back of his closet—he'd get rid of them later—and put on his shoes and jacket. He was going to mail the photos right now.

There was a knock on James's door.

"James, are you home?" A woman called from the hall. "It's me, Sarah."

James quickly tucked the envelope into his jacket pocket and opened the door. Sarah looked up at him with red eyes. She had a backpack over her shoulder, and her arms were crossed tightly over her chest.

"Hey, Sarah. What are you doing here?"

"I have nowhere else to go." Sarah hung her head. "I had a huge fight with my dad and I was hoping you'd let me stay here a few days? It's just until I find my own place."

James rubbed at the back of his head. He didn't really want to let her in since he'd already gotten everything he needed from her. She looked really down, however, and James could only imagine what it was like to have such a jerk for a father.

"Sure," James said. "Since you have nowhere else to go."

"Thank you so much!" Sarah hugged him. "I'll sleep on the sofa, of course, and I swear I'll pull my weight."

"It's cool." James watched her drop her backpack on the couch. The strawberry scent of her hair lingered in the hallway, and he forgot all about the envelope in his pocket.

James went to work on a project for college while Sarah searched for accommodation. Hours later, she knocked on his bedroom door and peeked inside.

"I see you have some ingredients in your fridge and cupboards and I was wondering if you'd mind if I cooked us dinner?" She asked. "Tomorrow will be on me."

"Sure," James replied. He was a little surprised she'd offer to cook for him and curious about what she'd make since he mostly lived on ramen.

A while later, he rose from his desk to follow the tantalizing smell coming from the kitchen. When he saw the dishes spread across his tiny kitchen counter, James's jaw dropped.

"There's no way you cooked all of this with food from my fridge," he said. "It smells incredible."

Sarah smiled over her shoulder while she opened the oven. "You're just in time for the dinosaur I dug out of the glacier in the back of your freezer."

James laughed when he saw her remove a roast chicken from the oven. When James took his first bite of food, he couldn't believe how good it tasted.

"Where did you learn to cook like this?"

Sarah shrugged. "My mom died when I was young, and my dad was never good at household chores. He's not good at a lot of things actually, like patience, forgiveness, controlling his temper, kindness."

"Sounds like a harsh guy," James replied.

"I blame his job, but let's not discuss it anymore. Tell me what you've been working on in there." She nodded at his bedroom door.

"It's a project for college. To understand how it works, you need to imagine a pipe in which two balls are flying toward each other—"

"Molecular fission?"

"Yeah." James leaned back and studied Sarah. "You know about it?"

It turned out that Sarah knew enough to discuss several concepts with James while they finished eating. Although he'd enjoyed spending time with her on their date, he'd never realized how knowledgeable she was.

"I'll make a deal with you," James said once they'd finished eating. "You can stay here as long as you like on the condition that you teach me how to cook like this."

Sarah laughed. "Why not?"

For the next few days, Sarah and James cooked dinner together every evening. She taught him several different techniques and recipes, and they had fun preparing meals together.

One night, while waiting for a batch of biscuits to finish baking, Sarah jokingly whipped James with a kitchen towel.

"Oh, I'm going to get you for that!"

James lunged for Sarah, but she giggled and slipped away around the counter. James laughed and vaulted over to catch her, but Sarah was too quick.

They both laughed and teased each other while James chased Sarah around the apartment, but he eventually cornered her in the narrow hallway. James pulled her close before she could slip away again.

"Looks like you got me." Sarah stared up at James. Her hands were braced against his chest, and she was slightly out of breath. She looked beautiful.

"Only question now is whether I get to keep you."

James bit his lip and smoothed her hair back from her forehead.

It felt like the world stopped spinning when Sarah smiled at him. All his senses narrowed in on how her hands felt when she slid them up his chest to wrap her arms around his neck and the sweet floral scent of her skin.

Then the oven timer dinged. Sarah broke away to remove the biscuits, and James watched her go with regret. He would've gladly let the biscuits burn to stay in that moment with her.

Brandon visited the next day, just as Sarah left for the grocery store. He watched her walk away down the hallway with an amused expression.

"I don't remember this being part of the plan," Brandon said.

"It just sort of happened." James shrugged.

"Oh yeah, the hot daughters of jerk cops move in with me all the time too." Brandon sniffed and slapped James on the shoulder. "I'm not going to criticize, bro, but it'll throw one heck of a spanner into your love bird nest if she finds out about those pictures you sent her daddy."

"The pictures! I forgot about them completely."

"Say what?" Brandon laughed and shook his head. "Man, you've really got it bad for this girl, don't you?"

James dropped down onto the sofa. Brandon was right. Sarah's laugh and the scent of her shampoo when he stood close to her, her silly jokes while they cooked together; these things had become precious to James. The thought of her leaving left him cold.

"What I have with Sarah is more important than revenge," James said. "I think I'm falling in love with her."

"Well, make sure you invite me along when she takes you home to meet Mr. Five-Oh, because that's going to be one hell of a drama!" Brandon replied.

After Brandon's visit, James realized he had to deal with Sarah's father. He couldn't take the chance that their unresolved issues would ruin Sarah and James's budding relationship. First thing the next morning, James went by the police station.

All the hatred that inspired him to get revenge in the first place boiled up inside him when he saw the jerk cop's face again. James reminded himself that he needed to speak to the man if he and Sarah were to have any future as he followed the cop to a small office room.

"Okay, Birdman," the cop said as he sat. "You said you have something to say to me, now you better make it worth my time."

"It's about your daughter...sir," James replied. He took a deep breath and told the cop how he'd orchestrated his meeting with Sarah, purposefully gotten her intoxicated, and taken those pictures. The cop's face was bright red with rage when James finished.

"But I swear to you nothing happened," James continued.

"And I'm telling you all this because I realized what an amazing girl Sarah is. She's been staying with me, and I've fallen for her."

"And now you think the two of you will live happily ever after?" The cop slammed his fist down on the desk. "You lowlife, piece of trash! Sarah isn't your toy. You might have fooled her for now, but I meant what I said: my daughter doesn't look for men in the dirt. She'll see your true colors one day, and then you'll be back in the trash where you belong!"

James walked up to his apartment with his head bowed. He couldn't stop thinking about the cop's words. James had made some bad decisions in his life—that's how he met that cop in the first place—but he wasn't trash. He'd gone to college to ensure he had a good future, and now he wanted Sarah to be part of it.

He'd have to become the sort of man that a girl like Sarah deserved. He'd have to tell her the truth, but how could he do that without losing her? The more he thought about how to explain everything to her, the more he realized how despicable his actions were.

James's thoughts were still buzzing when he entered his apartment. He stumbled into a laundry basket left in the middle of the tiny hallway and frowned. Then he saw his jacket lying on top—the jacket he'd worn when Sarah arrived on his doorstep. He'd returned it to the coat rack and never removed the photos from the pocket.

"Sarah?" James glanced around the apartment. His heart shattered when he noticed her backpack and all her stuff was missing.

He found the envelope lying open on the coffee table. The photos were gone, but Sarah had left him a note:

'I hope your revenge was worth it.'

What can we learn from this story?

• Love is neither a toy nor a tool. James thought it would be easier to manipulate Sarah if she cared for him, but instead, he broke both their hearts with his cruel plan.
• Revenge is a two-edged sword. There is no way to exact revenge on someone without hurting yourself in the process.

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