Chapter 2: The Missing Email
Monica recovered quickly.
She always did.
“Marcus, nobody is kicking anyone out.””
Jasmine stared at her.
“My entire closet is downstairs.””
“It’s temporary.””
“You locked my bedroom!””
Marcus looked toward the staircase.
“What?””
Olivia wiped her perfectly dry cheeks.
“Dad, Jasmine has been impossible lately.””
Marcus ignored her.
His eyes remained on Monica.
“Why is Jasmine’s bedroom locked?””
Monica crossed her arms.
“Because she needs consequences.””
“For what?””
“Her behavior.””
Marcus looked around the room as though searching for some missing piece of information.
He had been gone for three days.
Three days.
And somehow, in that time, his daughter had gone from living normally in his house to standing beside a packed suitcase.
“What behavior deserves removing her from the house?””
Monica sighed.
“You’re making this sound dramatic.””
“I’m asking you a simple question.””
“She’s disrespectful. She argues constantly. She refuses to treat Olivia like family.””
Jasmine laughed once.
It was bitter.
“You mean I refuse to let Olivia destroy my things.””
Olivia snapped, “Here we go again.””
Marcus raised one hand.
“Stop.””
Everyone went quiet.
He looked at Jasmine.
“Where were they sending you?””
Jasmine glanced at Monica.
“Apparently to my aunt.””
Marcus frowned.
“What aunt?””
“Exactly.””
His eyes moved to his wife.
“Monica?””
Monica shifted.
“I was going to arrange something.””
“You hadn't even arranged it?””
“We were discussing options.””
“You packed my daughter’s belongings before deciding where she would sleep?””
“That’s not what happened.””
Marcus’s voice dropped.
“You don’t remove my daughter from her own home without talking to me.””
Olivia suddenly shouted.
“She ruins everything!””
Everyone looked at her.
Marcus’s expression hardened.
“What did she ruin?””
Olivia opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Jasmine looked at her stepsister.
For months she had swallowed every accusation.
Every insult.
Every strange disappearance.
She had convinced herself that speaking up would only create another argument.
But there was nothing left to protect now.
“My scholarship interview.””
Marcus turned.
“What scholarship?””
Monica spoke too quickly.
“She didn’t get one.””
Jasmine looked directly at her father.
“I did.””
Marcus went still.
“What?””
“The Hamilton Scholars Program.””
He knew the name.
Jasmine could see it immediately.
It was one of the most competitive scholarship programs she had applied for.
“I made the final round.””
Marcus’s mouth opened slightly.
“When?””
“I found out today.””
Monica interrupted.
“Technically, she hasn’t won anything.””
Jasmine ignored her.
“They sent me an interview invitation days ago.””
Marcus’s confusion deepened.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I never got it.””
“What do you mean?””
“The email was deleted.””
The room changed.
Olivia looked down.
Marcus noticed.
“So?””
Jasmine continued.
“Mrs. Palmer stopped me at school this morning. She asked why I hadn’t responded.””
Marcus glanced at Monica.
“Did you know about this?””
“No.””
The answer came instantly.
Too instantly.
Marcus turned toward Olivia.
“And you?””
“No.””
Jasmine stepped closer.
“You used my laptop last week.””
“I borrowed it.””
“You knew my password.””
“So?””
“You knew I applied for Hamilton.””
“Everybody knew.””
“You asked me when finalists were announced.””
Olivia rolled her eyes.
“This is insane.””
Marcus studied her.
Then Olivia muttered something.
“It wasn’t supposed to matter.””
Silence.
Marcus slowly turned his head.
“What wasn’t supposed to matter?””
Olivia’s face lost color.
Monica stepped toward her.
“She didn’t mean anything.””
Marcus looked at Monica.
“I wasn't asking you.””
He faced Olivia again.
“What wasn't supposed to matter?””
Olivia’s eyes darted toward her mother.
Jasmine saw the silent conversation between them.
And suddenly she knew.
“You deleted it.””
Olivia snapped.
“You get everything!””
Jasmine recoiled.
There it was.
Not a denial.
A confession.
Marcus looked stunned.
“What did you just say?””
Olivia’s breathing quickened.
“You’re always talking about Jasmine. Jasmine’s grades. Jasmine’s art.
Jasmine’s college applications. Jasmine this, Jasmine that.””
“Olivia—” Monica warned.
“No!””
Olivia pointed at Jasmine.
“She acts like she’s better than everyone.””
“I never said that!””
“You don't have to!””
Marcus stepped between them.
“Did you delete her scholarship email?””
Olivia looked away.
“Answer me.””
“Yes!””
Jasmine closed her eyes.
Even though she had suspected it, hearing the word still hurt.
Marcus stared at Olivia.
“You deliberately deleted an interview invitation worth potentially a hundred and fifty thousand dollars?””
Olivia’s eyes filled.
“I didn’t know it was that much.””
Jasmine whispered, “Would fifty thousand have been okay?””
“Shut up!””
“No,” Marcus said sharply.
“Jasmine does not shut up.””
That sentence surprised everyone.
Especially Jasmine.
Marcus turned toward his daughter.
“Tell me everything.””
Monica stepped forward.
“This is getting completely out of proportion.””
Marcus looked at her.
“You knew.””
“No.””
Olivia looked at her mother.
Monica’s eyes widened slightly.
Too late.
Marcus saw it.
“You knew she deleted the email.””
Monica exhaled.
“I found out afterward.””
“And?””
“I spoke to Olivia privately.””
Jasmine laughed bitterly.
“You bought her concert tickets.””
“That had nothing to do with this.””
“You knew what she did and rewarded her!””
“I was trying to keep this family together.””
Marcus stared at his wife.
“By hiding sabotage against my daughter?””
“She made one mistake!””
“It wasn’t one mistake.””
Jasmine’s voice was quiet.
Everyone turned toward her.
She walked toward the suitcase.
Her hands shook as she unzipped the smaller front compartment.
She removed a small wooden box.
Marcus recognized it.
Her mother had given it to her.
Jasmine placed it on the coffee table and opened it.
Inside was a broken medal.
Marcus picked it up.
“This was from the state academic competition.””
Jasmine nodded.
“I found it snapped behind my desk.””
She removed several pieces of torn paper.
Her drawings.
Marcus had seen some of them before.
One had been selected for a student exhibition.
Now it was ripped through the center.
Then Jasmine removed a delicate silver necklace.
The chain was broken.
Marcus stopped breathing.
He knew that necklace.
“Your mother’s.””
Jasmine nodded.
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
“She gave it to me before she got sick.””
Marcus looked toward Olivia.
Olivia shook her head.
“She’s lying.””
Jasmine reached into the box again.
This time, she pulled out a USB drive.
“No.””
Olivia’s voice suddenly sounded frightened.
Marcus looked at the small device.
“What is that?””
“I started recording things.””
Monica’s face drained of color.
Jasmine continued.
“After nobody believed me.””
Marcus closed his hand around the USB.
“How much is on here?””
“Months.””
Monica stepped forward.
“You secretly recorded people in this house?””
Marcus turned toward her.
“That’s what concerns you?””
“She invaded our privacy!””
“She felt she needed evidence inside her own home!””
Jasmine looked at her father.
“There’s something else on there.””
Marcus’s expression changed.
“What?””
Jasmine hesitated.
Because what came next was bigger than Olivia.
Bigger than the scholarship.
Bigger even than the suitcase.
“Last week, I heard Monica talking to someone about your house.””
Monica snapped.
“Jasmine, stop!””
Marcus slowly turned toward his wife.
“What about my house?””
May you like
Jasmine reached deeper into the suitcase.
And pulled out an envelope.
