Chapter 4: The Person Behind It All
The room felt smaller after Mia said those words.
Dad didn’t move.
Neither did I.
Because somehow, hearing the truth made everything worse.
Mia had always been cruel to me.
But this was different.
Someone had pushed her.
Someone had convinced her.
“Whose idea was it?”” Dad asked.
Mia looked at Vanessa.
Vanessa immediately shook her head.
“No.””
“Mia,” Dad said.
Her lips trembled.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen.””
“Answer me.””
Mia looked down.
“Mom said Emma needed to learn a lesson.””
My breath caught.
Vanessa’s expression changed instantly.
“Mia.””
But Mia kept going.
“She said Dad was always making sacrifices for Emma. She said everyone was celebrating Emma while nobody cared about us.””
I looked at Vanessa.
“Us?””
Vanessa’s eyes hardened.
“You don’t understand.””
“No,” I said.
“I don’t.””
She stepped forward.
“You came into this family and everything changed.””
I stared at her.
“I was twelve.””
“And you had your father’s attention.””
The words hit harder than I expected.
Dad looked shocked.
“Are you hearing yourself?””
Vanessa ignored him.
“You had him running to every school event, every award ceremony, every problem.””
“Because she’s my daughter,” Dad said.
“And Mia is your daughter too.””
“Yes.””
“Then why did she always feel second?””
Mia looked away.
For a second, I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
Because feeling ignored didn’t give someone permission to destroy another person.
Dad walked toward Vanessa.
“You could have talked to me.””
“I did.””
“When?””
“Every day.””
“No. You complained every day.””
Vanessa’s face flushed.
“You never listened.””
Dad shook his head.
“I listened. I just didn’t agree.””
The silence after that was painful.
I looked at the clock.
The graduation ceremony was less than twelve hours away.
My dress was destroyed.
My family was falling apart.
And somehow, I was still the one standing there holding pieces of fabric.
Dad noticed.
He walked over and gently took the dress from my hands.
“Go get some rest.””
I shook my head.
“I don’t think I can sleep.””
He looked at me.
“You don’t have to pretend you’re okay.””
That was when my tears finally fell.
Not the angry tears from before.
The exhausted ones.
“I just wanted one day.””
Dad wrapped his arms around me.
“I know.””
Behind us, Mia quietly spoke.
“Emma.””
I pulled away.
She was standing there without her usual confidence.
No smile.
No attitude.
Just guilt.
“I’m sorry.””
The apology sounded small.
Too small for what she had done.
I wiped my face.
“Why?””
She swallowed.
“Because I was jealous.””
I waited.
She continued.
“You worked for everything. Everyone was proud of you.””
“And?””
“And I hated that.””
I looked at her.
“At least you’re honest.””
She nodded.
“I should have never touched your dress.””
“No.””
“I know.””
A long silence passed.
Then Mia reached into her pocket.
She pulled out her phone.
“There’s something else.””
Dad frowned.
“What?””
She hesitated.
Then handed the phone to him.
The screen faced away from us, but Dad’s expression changed as he looked at it.
“What is this?””
Mia’s voice became quiet.
“I found it after Mom left the room earlier.””
Dad looked up.
“Where?””
“In her purse.””
Vanessa’s face went pale.
“What did you do?””
Mia stepped back.
“You told me nobody would ever find out.””
My stomach tightened.
Dad stared at the phone.
Then at Vanessa.
“What exactly was in your purse?””
Vanessa said nothing.
Dad turned the phone around.
I couldn’t see everything.
Only a picture.
A picture of my graduation dress.
Before it was destroyed.
And underneath it was a message.
Dad’s face went completely still.
“Vanessa…”
She looked terrified.
“What?””
He looked at her.
“Why did you send this picture to someone and ask them to make sure Emma never wore this dress?””
Nobody spoke.
Then Dad’s phone rang.
The name appearing on the screen made him freeze.
He answered slowly.
“Hello?””
His face changed with every second.
“What do you mean you found something?””
I stepped closer.
“Dad?””
He looked at me.
And the fear in his eyes made my heart stop.
The voice on the other end continued speaking.
May you like
Then Dad whispered:
“Emma… your dress wasn’t the only thing Vanessa tried to destroy.””
