Chapter 2: The Three-Thousand-Dollar Lesson
Dad disappeared into Mia's room without another word.
Vanessa followed him.
"DAVID, what are you doing?"" she demanded.
He didn't respond.
I remained beside my bed, clutching a torn piece of blue fabric. My graduation cap sat on the dresser, its gold tassel swinging slightly in the breeze from the open window.
Outside, I could hear a lawn mower starting up somewhere down the street.
The world had the nerve to continue as if mine hadn't just fallen apart.
Mia leaned against my doorframe.
"You really should stop crying," she said.
"You're embarrassing yourself.""
I looked at her.
"Why do you hate me so much?""
Her smile disappeared for half a second.
Then she laughed.
"I don't hate you. I just don't think you deserve everything Dad gives you.""
"What does that even mean?""
"It means you're always the good daughter. The smart daughter. The one everyone claps for.""
She gestured toward my destroyed dress.
"Maybe I wanted one day when you weren't the center of attention.""
I felt something inside me go still.
"You ruined my graduation because you were jealous?""
"Don't flatter yourself.""
"Then why?""
Mia opened her mouth, but a sharp sound from the adjoining bedroom interrupted her.
It was a zipper.
Then a drawer sliding open.
Then Dad's voice.
"Is this the bag Vanessa bought you?""
Mia's eyes widened.
She rushed into her bedroom.
I followed, stopping just outside the door.
Dad stood beside Mia's dresser holding a black designer handbag. It was made of smooth Italian leather, with gold hardware and a small metal logo on the front.
Vanessa had given it to Mia for her seventeenth birthday.
Three thousand dollars, according to Mia, who had spent the next two weeks telling everyone at school how much it cost.
She had refused to let anyone touch it.
Dad held it by the strap.
Mia froze.
"Dad, put that down.""
He examined the bag.
"Three thousand dollars?""
"Yes. Mom bought it for me.""
"With what money?""
Vanessa stepped forward.
"David, that's none of your concern.""
He turned toward her.
"None of my concern?""
"It's a gift I bought my daughter.""
"And you can afford three thousand dollars for a handbag, but apparently you can't teach her not to destroy other people's property?""
Vanessa's face flushed.
"This is ridiculous. You're comparing a dress to a luxury handbag?""
"No," Dad said.
"I'm comparing your daughter's behavior to your response.""
Mia grabbed for the bag.
"Give it back!""
Dad raised it out of her reach.
"You cut Aaliyah's dress?""
Mia rolled her eyes.
"Yes! I already said that!""
"And you think that's funny?""
"It was a stupid dress!""
Dad looked down at the handbag.
Then he looked at the scissors still lying on the floor outside my room.
He walked over, picked them up, and returned.
For a moment, I thought he was going to cut the handbag's strap.
Instead, he placed the bag on Mia's bed, opened the scissors, and drove the blades through the leather.
One long cut.
The sound was small.
Almost disappointingly ordinary.
But Mia screamed as if he had set the entire room on fire.
"MY BAG!""
She lunged forward, but Dad moved away before she could grab it.
"You destroyed my bag!""
Dad laid the scissors on the bed.
"It's just a piece of leather.""
Mia stared at him, her mouth open.
"That cost THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS!""
Dad's voice remained steady.
"And Aaliyah's dress cost six months of her hard work.""
"You're insane!"" Mia shrieked.
Vanessa rushed toward him.
"Have you lost your mind, David? That was an expensive designer bag!""
Dad faced her.
"Your daughter deliberately destroyed something Aaliyah earned herself. You watched her do it, and your first instinct was to defend her.""
"Because it's a dress!""
"And the bag?""
Vanessa stopped.
Dad pointed toward the ruined handbag.
"You see how quickly you understand the damage when it's something that belongs to your daughter?""
For the first time since she had entered our home, Vanessa had no immediate answer.
Then she found one.
"You had no right to touch Mia's belongings!""
Dad gave a humorless laugh.
"Interesting. You seem very concerned about belongings today.""
Mia picked up the damaged bag and pressed the torn leather together as if she could somehow undo what had happened.
"Mom, tell him to fix it!""
Vanessa turned toward Dad.
"You're going to replace that bag.""
"No.""
"David, I'm serious.""
"So am I.""
He walked into the hallway.
"Both of you. Pack your belongings.""
The room went silent.
Mia slowly lowered the handbag.
"What?""
"You heard me," Dad replied.
"You and your mother can stay somewhere else until I decide what happens next.""
Vanessa's face hardened.
"You cannot throw your wife and stepdaughter out over a dress.""
Dad turned to her.
"This isn't about a dress. It's about the way you've treated my daughter since the day you moved in.""
I had never heard him speak to Vanessa like that.
She had always been the one who knew how to calm him down, how to turn an argument into an apology, how to make him feel guilty for raising his voice.
This time, she tried again.
"David, you're upset. Let's sit down and discuss this like adults.""
"No. I've spent two years discussing things while Aaliyah gets blamed for your daughter's behavior.""
"That's not fair.""
"Neither is what happened this morning.""
Mia suddenly began to cry.
Real tears this time.
She dropped the handbag onto the bed and grabbed her mother's arm.
"Mom, you promised Dad wouldn't get mad!""
The words came out so quickly that even Mia seemed surprised by them.
Dad went completely still.
Vanessa's hand tightened around Mia's wrist.
"What did you just say?""
Mia looked at her mother.
Then at Dad.
Her face turned pale.
"I didn't mean—"
Vanessa pulled her closer.
"You're upset. Go downstairs.""
But Dad stepped into their path.
"No. She said you promised I wouldn't get mad. What exactly did you promise her?""
Vanessa forced a laugh.
"Honestly, David? You're interrogating a teenager because she's emotional.""
"Then answer the question.""
"There's nothing to answer.""
Mia wiped her face with the back of her hand.
"You told me Aaliyah didn't deserve to look prettier than me.""
Vanessa spun toward her.
"Mia, stop talking.""
"You said everyone would be looking at her today, and you weren't going to let that happen!""
My stomach dropped.
Dad's eyes moved slowly from Mia to Vanessa.
"Did you know she was going to cut the dress?""
Vanessa's lips parted.
"Of course not.""
Mia let out a bitter laugh.
"Mom! You told me to do it!""
Vanessa grabbed her daughter's shoulders.
"Shut your mouth!""
The words echoed through the bedroom.
Nobody moved.
I had seen Vanessa angry before. I had watched her punish Mia for bad grades and lecture her for being late.
But I had never seen her frightened.
Now I did.
Dad looked at her as though he were trying to recognize a face he had known for years.
"Vanessa," he said, "what else have you been telling my daughter?""
Mia's breathing became ragged.
She looked at me.
May you like
And then she whispered the words that made my knees nearly buckle.
"Mom also told me to throw away your college acceptance letter.""
