Chapter 3: The Secret Behind The Scissors
The next morning, I woke up before my alarm.
For a few seconds, I forgot everything.
I felt the excitement of graduation day.
The nervous energy.
The feeling that my entire life was about to change.
Then I saw the torn dress hanging on my chair.
Reality came rushing back.
I got ready quietly.
Dad had already left early to pick up something for me.
I didn’t know what.
But he told me one thing before leaving.
“Trust me.””
When I walked into the kitchen, Mia was already there.
She was drinking coffee, scrolling through her phone.
She didn’t even look at me.
“Feeling better?”” she asked.
I stopped.
“What?””
She smiled slightly.
“About your little dress problem.””
I stared at her.
“You’re still acting like this is funny?””
Mia put her phone down.
“I’m just saying, maybe this is a sign.””
“A sign of what?””
“That you shouldn’t have been trying so hard to look better than everyone else.””
My hands tightened.
“I wasn’t trying to look better than anyone.””
“Yes, you were.””
Her voice became sharper.
“Everyone was going to talk about you today.””
I frowned.
“Why?””
Mia looked away.
For a second, I saw something behind her anger.
Fear.
Then it disappeared.
“You wouldn’t understand.””
“Understand what?””
She stood up.
“Forget it.””
But I didn’t.
Because suddenly, I remembered something.
The night before she destroyed my dress, Mia had asked me a strange question.
“Are you wearing that dress to graduation?””
At the time, I thought she was just being rude.
Now I wondered why she needed to know.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I opened the message.
My blood went cold.
It was a screenshot.
A conversation between Mia and someone else.
The first line said:
*“If Aaliyah wears that dress tomorrow, everyone will see the truth.””*
I looked up slowly.
Mia was watching me.
“You got the message?””
My heart started racing.
“What truth?””
For the first time, Mia looked nervous.
She grabbed her phone.
“Aaliyah, listen—”
But before she could finish, the front door opened.
Dad walked in.
And behind him was someone I never expected to see.
Someone who was carrying a folder with my name on it.
Dad looked at Mia.
Then at me.
And said four words that changed everything.
“We need to talk about the picture.””
I stared at the folder.
“What picture?””
Nobody answered.
Because Mia’s face had already given me the truth.
She wasn’t jealous of my dress.
She was afraid of what would happen if I wore it.
May you like
And whatever was inside that folder…
Was the reason she destroyed it.
