Chapter 2: The Things I Never Told Dad
The next morning, I woke up before my alarm.
Not because I was excited.
Because every time I closed my eyes, I saw my dress disappearing into the fire.
Graduation day was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.
Instead, I stood in front of my closet staring at an empty hanger.
The room felt different.
Like something had been taken from me that was bigger than a piece of clothing.
My phone buzzed.
A message from my best friend, Lily.
“Are you ready? Today is your day!!!””
I stared at the screen.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard.
I wanted to tell her everything.
But I didn’t know how to explain that my own family had destroyed the one thing I had been looking forward to.
I finally typed:
“I’ll be there.””
Then I deleted the message before sending it.
A knock came at my door.
I turned around.
My father stood there.
He looked exhausted.
“Can I come in?””
I nodded.
He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he looked at the empty hanger.
“I’m sorry.””
Those two words almost broke me.
Because I had waited so long to hear them.
“Why didn’t you believe me before?”” I asked.
His face fell.
“What do you mean?””
I looked down.
“I told you things.””
Silence.
“I told you Madison hid my textbooks before finals.””
Daniel frowned.
“When?””
“Last semester.””
He looked confused.
“I thought you misplaced them.””
I nodded slowly.
“That’s what she told you.””
His expression changed.
I continued.
“I told you Vanessa made me clean the entire house the night before my college interview.””
“Emily…”
“She said I needed to learn responsibility.””
My voice cracked.
“She said Madison was busy preparing for her dance competition.””
My father sat down on the edge of my bed.
“I didn’t know.””
“That’s the problem.””
The room became quiet.
“You never knew because you never looked.””
He lowered his head.
I hated seeing him hurt.
But I was tired of pretending everything was fine.
“I thought you loved us equally.””
“I do.””
“But you always believed them first.””
He didn’t answer.
Because he knew it was true.
A few minutes later, we went downstairs.
Madison was already sitting at the kitchen island.
She was wearing a new outfit.
Perfect hair.
Perfect makeup.
Like nothing happened.
She looked at my father.
“Are we really going to keep talking about a dress?””
Daniel stopped walking.
“A dress you destroyed.””
She rolled her eyes.
“I said I was sorry.””
“You did not.””
Madison shrugged.
“Fine. I’m sorry she can’t take a joke.””
My father’s jaw tightened.
Vanessa entered the kitchen carrying coffee.
“Daniel, today is supposed to be about Emily graduating. Don’t ruin it by attacking Madison.””
I looked at her.
“You mean don’t make Madison face consequences?””
Vanessa stared at me.
“Watch your tone.””
That sentence was so familiar.
Growing up, every time I defended myself, I was told my tone was the problem.
Not what happened.
Not what they did.
My tone.
Daniel placed his coffee down.
“No more.””
Everyone looked at him.
“I should have listened.””
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“Are you seriously taking her side?””
He looked at her.
“I’m taking the truth’s side.””
Madison laughed.
“The truth? She’s making herself the victim because she wants attention.””
I felt my chest tighten.
Then my father did something I had never seen before.
He pulled out his phone.
“I checked the security camera.””
Madison’s smile disappeared.
Vanessa went still.
“What security camera?”” she asked.
“The backyard camera.””
Nobody moved.
Daniel looked at Madison.
“And I watched what happened.””
Madison’s face turned pale.
“You watched?””
“Yes.””
The silence was unbearable.
Then Daniel turned his phone around.
On the screen was the recording.
Madison walking outside.
Holding my dress.
Smiling before she threw it into the fire.
But that wasn’t all.
My father’s eyes moved toward Vanessa.
“Why did you delete the kitchen footage from last month?””
Vanessa froze.
I looked at her.
“What?””
She quickly looked away.
Daniel stepped closer.
“The camera system saves everything. Even deleted files.””
Madison stood up.
“Dad, this is ridiculous.””
“No.””
His voice was firm.
“This is the first time I’m actually paying attention.””
Then he tapped something on his phone.
His expression changed.
Not anger.
Shock.
“Emily…”
I looked at him.
“What?””
He slowly turned the screen toward me.
And what I saw made my stomach drop.
Because the footage wasn’t just showing Madison destroying my dress.
It showed something that happened three weeks earlier.
May you like
Something I had never known.
Something that explained why my graduation dress had not been the first thing they destroyed.
