Chapter 3: The Secret Behind The Scissors
I stared at the message until the screen went dark.
My father noticed immediately.
“What happened?””
I locked my phone.
“Nothing.””
He stopped walking.
“Don’t lie to me.””
I looked at him.
My father had always been able to tell when something was wrong. Even when I tried to hide it.
I hesitated.
Then I showed him the message.
His expression changed as he read it.
“Who sent this?””
“I don’t know.””
He looked at the picture again.
It was taken outside my college campus.
I was standing with my friends after my final exam.
Someone had taken it from a distance.
The thought made my skin crawl.
“Did Mia send this?”” I asked.
My father didn’t answer.
And that silence scared me.
We returned to the living room.
Mia and Laura were still there.
Mia looked annoyed, but when she saw my father’s face, she became cautious.
“Everything okay?””
My father held up my phone.
“Mia.””
Her eyes moved to the screen.
For a brief moment, panic flashed across her face.
Only for a moment.
But I saw it.
“You know something,” my father said.
Mia shook her head quickly.
“No.””
“You reacted before you even saw the picture.””
“I didn’t.””
My father stepped closer.
“Then explain why you look scared.””
Laura immediately moved between them.
“Enough. This is getting ridiculous.””
My father looked at her.
“Move.””
She froze.
I had never heard him speak to her like that.
Mia’s confidence started disappearing.
“I didn’t send that.””
“Then who did?””
She looked away.
“Mia.””
Silence.
Then she whispered:
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.””
My stomach dropped.
“What wasn’t supposed to happen?””
Mia pressed her lips together.
My father’s voice became colder.
“Answer her.””
Mia looked at me.
And for the first time, she didn’t look angry.
She looked afraid.
“There was a video.””
“A video of what?””
She swallowed.
“Of you.””
My heart started beating faster.
“What video?””
Mia looked toward Laura.
Laura immediately said, “Don’t.””
My father turned.
“Don’t what?””
Nobody answered.
The silence told us everything.
My father stepped back.
“You both know something.””
Laura sighed.
“Mia made a mistake.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone keeps calling your daughter’s choices mistakes.””
Mia’s eyes filled with frustration.
“You don’t understand.””
“Then explain.””
She looked at me.
“I found out something about your graduation.””
“What?””
She hesitated.
“Someone was planning to embarrass you.””
The room went still.
My father looked at Mia.
“Who?””
Mia didn’t answer.
“Who was planning to embarrass my daughter?””
She looked down.
“It wasn’t me.””
“But you knew?””
Mia nodded slowly.
“And you destroyed my dress?””
Her face tightened.
“I thought if you didn’t go, it wouldn’t happen.””
I stared at her.
“You ruined my dream to protect me?””
“I was trying to stop something worse.””
My father’s expression changed.
Not forgiveness.
Confusion.
Because for the first time, Mia’s actions didn’t look simple.
They looked like something much darker.
“Show us the video,” my father said.
Mia shook her head.
“I deleted it.””
“Then why did someone just send this?””
Nobody spoke.
My phone vibrated again.
Another message.
This time, there was no picture.
Only a name.
A name that made Mia’s face lose all color.
My father read it over my shoulder.
And his jaw tightened.
May you like
Because the person behind everything wasn’t a stranger.
It was someone standing much closer than we ever imagined.
