Chapter 2: Dad's Revenge
Vanessa appeared at the top of the stairs wearing a silk robe, as if she had merely interrupted an ordinary afternoon.
"Michael, you're home early," she said.
Dad didn't move away from me.
"I asked who destroyed Emily's dress.""
Vanessa glanced at the fabric in his hands.
"Don't turn this into a bigger issue than it is. Madison was joking around.""
"A joke?""
Dad held up the ruined bodice. Blue dye dripped onto the carpet.
"She worked six months to buy this.""
"Well, perhaps she shouldn't have spent so much money on something so impractical," Vanessa replied.
"Besides, she has plenty of other clothes.""
I looked at her through my tears.
"That was my prom dress.""
Vanessa sighed dramatically.
"And now you need to accept that you won't be wearing it.""
Madison appeared behind her, adjusting the diamond bracelet on her wrist.
"Honestly, Dad, she's acting like somebody died.""
Dad rose slowly.
"Madison, you cut her dress?""
Madison shrugged.
"It was an accident.""
"An accident involving scissors?""
"I didn't like it. It looked cheap.""
"Did you pour the dye on it, too?""
Madison glanced at her mother.
Vanessa stepped between them.
"Michael, enough. You cannot expect Madison to be punished every time Emily has an emotional episode.""
Dad stared at her.
"An emotional episode?""
"She's seventeen. She cries about everything.""
I wanted to disappear. The familiar shame settled over me, the same feeling I always experienced when Vanessa twisted something cruel into proof that I was the problem.
But Dad saw the tears on my face.
He also saw the dye stains on my hands.
"Emily," he said quietly, "go wash your hands. I'll take care of this.""
I hesitated.
"Dad, please don't let them throw my dress away.""
He touched my shoulder.
"I won't.""
I went to the bathroom, but I left the door slightly open. From the hallway, I heard Dad's footsteps moving toward Vanessa's dressing room.
"What are you doing?"" Vanessa demanded.
"Finding something.""
"Michael, don't you dare touch my things.""
A drawer slammed.
Madison shouted, "Dad, what are you doing?""
Then came the unmistakable sound of hangers scraping against a closet rod.
I stepped into the hallway.
Dad emerged carrying two designer gowns draped over his arms. One was Vanessa's midnight-blue evening dress, purchased for a charity gala. The other was Madison's champagne-colored prom gown, the one she had spent weeks showing off to her friends.
Vanessa went pale.
"Put those down.""
Dad walked past her toward the back patio.
"Michael, those dresses cost thousands of dollars!""
"Funny," he replied, "how much you care about the value of a dress when it belongs to you.""
Madison rushed after him.
"Dad! That's my prom dress!""
He placed both gowns into a large metal storage container beside the patio.
Vanessa grabbed his sleeve.
"You are behaving like a child!""
Dad removed her hand.
"No. A child would have understood what you did to Emily.""
He picked up the bucket of remaining blue dye.
Madison's mouth fell open.
"Don't you dare!""
Dad poured the dye over the gowns.
Blue liquid flooded the champagne-colored skirt, staining the delicate fabric. Vanessa's midnight-blue gown darkened unevenly, its expensive material blotched with thick, ugly streaks.
Madison screamed.
"YOU RUINED IT!""
Vanessa lunged for the bucket, but Dad set it aside before she could reach it.
"You destroyed something my daughter bought with her own money," he said.
"Now you know what it feels like to watch something you value become worthless.""
"You'll regret this!"" Vanessa shouted.
Dad took out his phone.
"Actually, Vanessa, there's something you need to explain.""
He tapped the screen.
A security camera recording appeared.
I recognized the angle immediately. A small camera had been installed outside my bedroom after a package disappeared from the hallway several months earlier. Dad had mentioned that it recorded the landing and part of my doorway.
I had completely forgotten about it.
Dad turned up the volume.
Vanessa's voice rang across the patio.
"Make sure Emily doesn't attend prom. We can't risk that woman recognizing her.""
The recording continued.
Madison asked, "What if she sees Emily at school?""
"She won't," Vanessa answered.
"I'll make sure of it.""
Dad froze.
The blue bucket sat forgotten beside his feet.
"What woman?"" he asked.
Vanessa lunged for the phone.
"Michael, turn that off!""
He stepped away from her.
"Who are you talking about?""
"It's a private conversation taken out of context!""
Dad replayed the recording.
This time, we heard Madison's voice more clearly.
"Mom, what if she finds out about the letter?""
Vanessa snapped, "There is no letter.""
"Yes, there is. You found it in the old box in the attic.""
"Madison, shut up!""
Dad stopped the video.
He looked at Vanessa as if he had never seen her before.
"What letter?""
Vanessa's lips parted, but no sound emerged.
Madison, who had been crying over her ruined dress moments earlier, suddenly went completely still.
I stepped onto the patio.
"What does this have to do with me?""
Nobody answered.
I looked at Madison.
"Who is this woman?""
Madison's eyes filled with tears.
"The woman sponsoring prom," she whispered.
"She knew your real mother.""
My father gripped the phone so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Your mother has been dead for seventeen years," he said to Vanessa.
"What have you been hiding from us?""
Vanessa backed toward the patio doors.
"Michael, please. You don't understand.""
Dad moved between her and the house.
"Then start explaining.""
She looked at Madison.
Madison shook her head, trembling.
And then my stepsister said the words that made the entire world seem to tilt beneath my feet.
"Mom found a letter addressed to Emily last month. It said someone was coming to the school to meet her.""
Dad's face drained of color.
"Where is that letter?""
Vanessa didn't answer.
Instead, she reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper.
May you like
She held it against her chest.
Then she whispered, "If Emily reads this, everything we've built will fall apart.""
