Chapter 3: The Secret Behind The Scissors
My father stared at the phone screen for what felt like an eternity.
Nobody spoke.
Not Karen.
Not Mia.
Not me.
The only sound in the room was the faint ticking of the old clock hanging in the hallway.
I had never seen my father look like that before.
Not angry.
Not disappointed.
Something deeper.
Like he had just discovered a truth he wished he could forget.
“Dad?”” Mia whispered.
He slowly lifted his eyes from the phone.
“Where did you get this?””
Mia swallowed.
“I… I received it.””
“From who?””
She looked away.
That was the first time I realized something.
Mia wasn’t scared because she had been caught destroying my dress.
She was scared because there was something else.
Something bigger.
My father held the phone tightly.
“Mia. I asked you a question.””
Her lips parted.
“It was from someone at school.””
“Who?””
She hesitated.
“Emily.””
My father looked confused.
“Emily who?””
Mia didn’t answer.
I looked between them.
“What is happening?””
My father turned the phone toward me.
“Look.””
I stepped closer.
On the screen was a picture of my dress hanging in my closet.
My actual dress.
Taken yesterday.
My stomach twisted.
Below the picture was a message.
*“Make sure she doesn’t wear this tomorrow. She thinks everyone is excited to see her. Let’s see how confident she is when she has nothing.””*
I felt cold.
Not because of the message.
Because I knew the person who sent it.
Mia.
Or at least…
Someone using Mia’s account.
I looked at her.
“You planned this?””
Mia immediately shook her head.
“No.””
The answer came too quickly.
My father noticed too.
“You’re lying.””
“I’m not!””
She grabbed her phone.
“Someone sent that. Someone must have hacked my account.””
My father stared at her.
“You expect me to believe someone hacked your account just to destroy your stepsister’s dress?””
Mia looked desperate.
“Yes!””
Nobody moved.
Then Karen stepped forward.
“David, maybe she’s telling the truth.””
My father looked at her.
“Karen.””
His voice was quiet.
But it carried a warning.
She stopped.
“Mia has done enough today,” he said.
“Don’t make this worse by defending something you don’t understand.””
Karen’s face changed.
She looked offended.
“I’m her mother.””
“And she’s my daughter too.””
The words landed heavily.
For years, I had felt like my father was being pulled between us.
Between his old family and his new one.
But in that moment, he finally said what I had been waiting to hear.
I was his daughter.
Not a responsibility.
Not a reminder of the past.
His daughter.
Mia looked at me.
“I didn’t do it.””
I wanted to believe her.
A part of me did.
Because despite everything, she was still my stepsister.
Still someone I had grown up with.
But then I remembered her standing in my doorway.
The scissors.
The smile.
The way she said she did me a favor.
My heart hardened.
“Then why were you in my room?””
Silence.
Mia looked away.
That was all the answer we needed.
My father closed his eyes briefly.
“When did this start?””
Nobody understood.
“Dad?””
He looked at Mia.
“When did you start hating her?””
Mia’s face changed.
Like the question hurt more than anger would have.
“I don’t hate her.””
“Then explain.””
She crossed her arms.
“I’m tired.””
“Tired of what?””
“Tired of always being second.””
The room went still.
Mia laughed bitterly.
“You don’t see it because you never look.””
My father frowned.
“I have always loved you.””
“Yeah.””
Her voice cracked.
“But you love her differently.””
I felt my chest tighten.
Because underneath the cruelty, I heard something familiar.
Pain.
Not an excuse.
Not a justification.
But pain.
Mia wiped her eyes quickly.
“Everyone thinks she’s perfect.””
I shook my head.
“I’m not.””
“Yes, you are.””
“No, Mia.””
I looked at her.
“You just decided I was.””
She stared at me.
“I worked until midnight. I cried over exams. I failed things. I struggled.””
She said nothing.
“You only saw the moments when I succeeded.””
My father looked down.
Maybe he was remembering all the times Mia and I had been in the same room but living completely different lives.
Mia had watched my achievements.
But she had never watched my sacrifices.
Then her phone buzzed again.
Everyone looked.
Mia froze.
“Who is it?”” my father asked.
She didn’t answer.
“Mia.””
Slowly, she turned the screen around.
Another message.
This time from the same account.
*“You’re really going to let them blame you? Remember what happens if you tell.””*
My father’s eyes narrowed.
“Who is threatening you?””
Mia immediately locked her phone.
“Nobody.””
“That wasn’t nobody.””
She looked nervous.
“Dad, forget it.””
“No.””
His voice became firm.
“I will not forget it.””
Mia looked at Karen.
Then back at my father.
“I can handle it.””
“No, you can’t.””
Her eyes filled with frustration.
“You don’t understand!””
“Then explain.””
“I can’t.””
“Why?””
Because she didn’t answer, I knew.
This wasn’t just jealousy.
Someone had pushed her.
Someone had convinced her to hurt me.
And now they were controlling her.
My father took a step closer.
“Show me the messages.””
“No.””
“Mia.””
“I said no!””
The scream shocked everyone.
Mia immediately covered her mouth.
She looked terrified by her own reaction.
My father softened slightly.
“Who is it?””
For several seconds, she just stood there.
Then she whispered:
“Someone who knows things.””
“Things about what?””
She looked at me.
And I knew whatever she was about to say would change everything.
“About you.””
My heart stopped.
“About me?””
Mia nodded slowly.
“They know something you don’t.””
A strange feeling moved through my body.
“What are you talking about?””
She looked toward the destroyed dress.
Then toward my father.
Then finally at me.
“I wasn’t trying to ruin your graduation.””
Nobody spoke.
“I was trying to stop you from finding out.””
The room went silent.
My father’s expression changed.
“Finding out what?””
Mia looked like she wanted to take the words back.
But it was too late.
Because she had opened a door that couldn’t be closed.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out another phone.
An old one.
Not hers.
She handed it to my father.
“I found this hidden in Karen’s room three days ago.””
Karen’s face instantly went pale.
My father looked at her.
“What phone is this?””
Karen didn’t answer.
“Mia.””
Her voice trembled.
“Don’t.””
That single word made everyone turn.
Because Karen wasn’t angry.
She was afraid.
My father unlocked the phone.
There was no password.
The first thing he saw was a folder of saved messages.
His eyes moved across the screen.
Then stopped.
His face drained of color.
“What…”
I stepped closer.
“What is it?””
My father didn’t respond.
He was reading something.
Something that had been hidden from me for years.
Then he looked at Karen.
And the way he looked at her told me one thing.
Whatever was on that phone was not about my dress.
May you like
It was about our family.
And my father had just discovered a secret that could destroy everything we thought we knew.
