Chapter 2: The Lesson
"Dad, don't!""
Mia lunged forward.
Dad moved the scissors out of reach.
Vanessa stepped between them.
"Richard, have you lost your mind?""
Dad looked at her.
"No.""
His voice was quiet.
"Actually, I think I've finally started paying attention.""
My stomach tightened.
He looked down at the designer bag.
Then at my ruined dress.
Mia pointed toward me.
"Her stupid dress wasn't worth anything compared to that!""
Dad froze.
So did Vanessa.
I watched his jaw tighten.
"Say that again.""
Mia seemed to realize too late what she'd said.
"I mean... financially.""
Dad placed the scissors on the dresser.
He didn't cut the bag.
Instead, he held it out toward Mia.
Relief flashed across her face.
She reached for it.
Dad pulled it back.
"How did you get this?""
"Mom gave it to me.""
"And who paid the credit card bill?""
Vanessa's face changed.
"Richard.""
He turned toward her.
"I asked Mia.""
Mia looked between them.
"You did, I guess.""
"Exactly.""
Dad nodded.
"I worked for it.""
He pointed toward my bedroom.
"Ava worked for that dress.""
Mia scoffed.
"That's different.""
"How?""
Silence.
Dad waited.
"Tell me how.""
Mia couldn't.
I stood in my doorway, still clutching a piece of emerald fabric.
Dad noticed.
His expression softened for half a second.
Then he looked back at Mia.
"You didn't destroy a dress. You destroyed something your sister worked six months to earn because you wanted to hurt her.""
"She's not my sister!""
The words exploded from Mia.
Vanessa's eyes widened.
My chest went hollow.
Mia seemed shocked by herself too.
But then she doubled down.
"She's not! She's your daughter. Mom married you. That doesn't mean I have to pretend Ava's my family.""
"Mia!"" Vanessa shouted.
Dad stared at her.
I couldn't.
I turned away.
Suddenly, graduating in sweatpants sounded better than spending another second in that hallway.
I walked into my room.
"Ava," Dad called.
"We're late," I whispered.
I opened my closet.
There was nothing.
A black skirt.
Two work uniforms.
Jeans.
An old blue dress I'd worn to a funeral.
Perfect.
Graduation dressed like grief.
I reached for it.
Dad caught my wrist gently.
"No.""
"What choice do I have?""
"We'll find one.""
"In thirty-five minutes?""
"We'll find one.""
Vanessa appeared behind him.
"Richard, this is ridiculous. Mia needs to get to school too.""
Dad turned.
"Then you can drive her.""
"What?""
"I'm taking Ava.""
Vanessa stared at him.
"This is both girls' graduation.""
"Then maybe both girls should have been allowed to get dressed for it.""
Mia appeared behind her mother.
"You're seriously choosing her over me?""
Dad's expression hardened.
"This isn't about choosing.""
"It always is!""
Mia's voice cracked.
"Everything is Ava! Ava lost her mother. Ava works so hard.
Ava gets perfect grades. Poor Ava!""
I stared at her.
For the first time, I saw something underneath the cruelty.
Resentment.
Old and deep.
But understanding where poison came from didn't make it harmless.
"You could've told me you hated me," I said.
Mia blinked.
"You didn't have to destroy my things.""
She looked away.
Dad handed Vanessa the designer bag.
"Take it.""
Vanessa grabbed it.
Mia immediately reached for it.
Dad stopped her.
"I said Vanessa.""
Mia's mouth fell open.
"You're not getting this back until you've earned three thousand dollars yourself.""
"What?!""
"You heard me.""
"You can't do that!""
"I paid for it.""
"It's mine!""
Dad looked toward my shredded dress.
"So was Ava's.""
Mia fell silent.
For once, there was no clever comeback.
Dad grabbed his keys.
"Ava, come on.""
We hurried downstairs.
I thought we were going to a department store.
Instead, Dad drove three blocks and stopped outside a small alterations boutique called Rose & Thread.
"Dad, they're probably closed.""
He was already calling someone.
"Please answer.""
Someone did.
"Elena? It's Richard.""
I looked at him.
He listened, then said, "I need a miracle.""
Ten minutes later, a silver-haired woman unlocked the boutique.
Dad carried my shredded dress inside.
Elena spread the pieces across a worktable.
"Oh, sweetheart.""
My throat tightened.
"Can you fix it?""
She studied the damage.
"Not completely.""
My heart sank.
"But maybe completely isn't what you need.""
For the next fifteen minutes, Elena worked like she was fighting a war against the clock.
She took an elegant black dress from a rack and layered pieces of my emerald fabric around the waist and shoulder, turning the surviving material into accents.
"It won't be the dress you bought," she said.
I watched her pin the last piece.
"But it'll still carry part of it.""
Dad squeezed my hand.
When I finally stepped in front of the mirror, I stopped breathing.
It was beautiful.
Not because it looked expensive.
Because the ruined pieces were still there.
Just transformed.
Dad's eyes filled with tears.
"Your mother would've loved it.""
That nearly broke me.
We arrived at school with seven minutes to spare.
Students crowded the hallway in caps and gowns.
Then I saw Mia.
She stared at my dress.
Her face hardened.
"You've got to be kidding me.""
I walked past her.
But just before I reached the auditorium doors, Mia grabbed my arm.
"Ava.""
I turned.
For the first time all day, she wasn't smirking.
She looked frightened.
"There's something you don't know.""
"What?""
She glanced toward Vanessa.
Then toward Dad.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"I didn't destroy your dress because it was ugly.""
My skin prickled.
"Then why did you?""
May you like
Mia swallowed.
"Because Mom told me to.""
