Chapter 4: The Name on the Receipt
I stared at the receipt in my dad’s hand, trying to understand what I was seeing.
The words blurred together for a moment.
I knew Devon had made a terrible choice.
I knew he had been careless.
I knew he had taken something that wasn’t his.
But this was different.
This meant someone had planned it.
“Who paid him?”” I asked.
My voice sounded smaller than I expected.
My dad didn’t answer immediately.
He looked at the receipt again.
Then he handed it to me.
I looked down.
The buyer’s name was written clearly.
Karen.
My stepmother.
My fingers went cold.
“No.””
The word came out before I could stop it.
My dad’s face remained serious.
“I didn’t want to believe it either.””
I looked toward the kitchen.
Karen was standing there, frozen.
She knew.
She had been listening.
“James,” she said quietly.
My dad turned.
“Is it true?””
Karen opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
That silence answered everything.
I felt like the floor disappeared beneath me.
“You told me Devon made a mistake.””
Karen’s eyes moved toward me.
“Tasha…”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You stood there and defended him.””
She looked uncomfortable.
“I was trying to protect my son.””
I laughed quietly.
Not because it was funny.
Because I couldn’t believe she said it.
“Protect him?””
My voice cracked.
“From what? Consequences?””
Karen stepped forward.
“You don’t understand.””
“No, I think I do.””
I held up the receipt.
“You didn’t just know about it.””
The room became silent.
“You helped him.””
Devon walked in from the hallway.
His face changed the second he saw the paper.
“Mom?””
Karen looked at him.
And that was when I realized something.
Devon wasn’t angry.
He was shocked.
He didn’t know either.
My dad noticed it too.
“Devon.””
He looked at his son.
“Tell me exactly what happened.””
Devon swallowed.
“I…”
He looked at Karen.
She looked away.
“Mom told me she could find someone interested in the computer.””
My chest tightened.
“Interested?””
Devon rubbed his hands together nervously.
“She said you spent too much time on it. She said selling it would teach you that you shouldn’t be so obsessed.””
I stared at Karen.
She had a reason.
She had convinced herself she was helping.
But she had still taken something that wasn’t hers.
My dad’s voice became colder.
“You convinced him to sell his sister’s property.””
Karen shook her head.
“I didn’t think it would become this serious.””
My dad looked at her.
“It became serious when you decided someone else’s hard work was yours to control.””
Nobody spoke.
For once, Karen had no argument.
Devon looked sick.
“I thought it was just going to be a prank.””
I turned toward him.
“A prank?””
He immediately looked ashamed.
“I know. I know.””
“No, Devon.””
My voice trembled.
“You don’t know.””
I pointed upstairs.
“That computer was the first thing I ever built by myself.””
I swallowed.
“You didn’t just sell parts. You sold two years of my life.””
Devon looked down.
And this time, he didn’t defend himself.
My dad walked toward the table.
“We need to have a family conversation.””
Karen crossed her arms.
“Are you really going to make this into a huge thing?””
My dad looked at her.
“Yes.””
She looked surprised.
“You’re serious?””
“Completely.””
He picked up the receipt.
“Because this isn’t about a computer anymore.””
He looked at all of us.
“This is about trust.””
That night, we sat around the dining table.
Nobody touched dinner.
The silence was unbearable.
My dad asked Devon one question.
“Why did you agree?””
Devon stared at the table.
“Because Mom said Tasha had too much.””
“Too much what?””
He hesitated.
“Too much attention.””
I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
Karen looked away.
My dad leaned back.
“So this was jealousy.””
“No,” Devon said quickly.
But his voice wasn’t convincing.
My dad looked at me.
“Tasha, go upstairs.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“I need to talk to them.””
I wanted to stay.
I wanted answers.
But something in my dad’s expression told me he was serious.
So I went upstairs.
For nearly an hour, I heard muffled voices.
Then silence.
When my dad finally opened my bedroom door, his expression was different.
Tired.
Disappointed.
“Dad?””
He sat beside me.
“There’s more.””
My stomach tightened.
“What more?””
He looked toward my computer.
“Your stepmother wasn’t only trying to sell it.””
I waited.
May you like
My dad took a deep breath.
“She was trying to make you leave the house.””
