Chapter 2: The Secret Behind the Phone
I barely slept that night.
My father’s words kept replaying in my mind.
“Nobody is kicking you out of your own home.””
Those words should have made me feel safe.
But something felt wrong.
Because Jessica wasn’t upset about losing an argument.
She was scared.
And I couldn’t stop thinking about the message I saw on her phone.
Did she tell Dad about us?
What did that mean?
The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual.
The house was quiet.
I walked downstairs expecting things to feel awkward, but I didn’t expect what I saw.
Jessica was sitting at the kitchen table.
She had a cup of coffee in front of her.
And she looked like she hadn’t slept either.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she looked up.
“You were looking at my phone?””
I stopped.
“I wasn’t.””
“You saw the message.””
My stomach tightened.
“I only saw a notification.””
Jessica leaned back.
“You always think you know everything.””
I stared at her.
“I don’t know anything. That’s the problem.””
She looked away.
“Forget it.””
“No.””
My voice surprised both of us.
“No, I won’t forget it. You almost threw me out yesterday.””
Jessica’s expression hardened.
“I was angry.””
“You demanded $2,000 from me.””
“I needed the money.””
“For Ethan’s phone.””
She didn’t answer.
That silence told me enough.
“You really think that’s okay?””
Jessica stood up.
“You have no idea what it’s like raising a child.””
I laughed softly.
Not because it was funny.
Because I couldn’t believe she said that to me.
“I know what it’s like to be a child in this house.””
Her face changed slightly.
“I’m not talking about this.””
“You told me I wasn’t your daughter.””
Jessica grabbed her coffee.
“Maybe you should stop expecting me to treat you like one.””
That hurt.
But this time, I didn’t cry.
I just looked at her.
“Maybe I should stop trying.””
Before she could respond, my father entered the kitchen.
“What’s going on?””
Jessica immediately changed her expression.
“Nothing.””
I almost laughed.
Nothing.
That was her favorite word.
Nothing happened when she ignored me.
Nothing happened when she compared me to Ethan.
Nothing happened when she made me feel like a guest in my own home.
My father looked between us.
“I don’t believe that.””
Jessica forced a smile.
“We were just talking.””
My dad looked at me.
“Jasmine?””
I hesitated.
I didn’t want to create more problems.
But I also didn’t want to keep pretending.
“Dad, why did Jessica need $2,000 from me?””
He looked confused.
“I already told you yesterday.””
“No.””
Jessica interrupted.
“David, this is becoming unnecessary.””
My father ignored her.
“Jasmine, what aren’t I hearing?””
I looked at Jessica.
For years, I had stayed quiet because I didn’t want my father caught in the middle.
But maybe he had been in the middle all along.
“I think you should ask Ethan.””
The room went silent.
A few minutes later, Ethan walked into the kitchen.
He was seventeen.
And unlike Jessica, he looked nervous.
My father turned toward him.
“Ethan.””
“What?””
“Why did your mother ask Jasmine for money?””
Ethan looked at Jessica.
She immediately shook her head.
“Don’t involve him.””
But Ethan already looked guilty.
My father noticed.
“Ethan.””
The teenager sighed.
“I didn’t know she was going to kick Jasmine out.””
My father’s face darkened.
“What did you know?””
Ethan looked down.
“Mom said Jasmine had money saved.””
“For what?””
Ethan didn’t answer.
“Ethan.””
Finally, he whispered:
“For my phone.””
My father closed his eyes.
I saw disappointment cross his face.
Not anger.
Something worse.
Disappointment.
“Did you ask your sister for money?””
Ethan shook his head quickly.
“No.””
“Did you know Mom was demanding it?””
A long pause.
“Yes.””
Jessica stepped forward.
“David, he’s a child.””
“He’s seventeen.””
“He needs things.””
“And Jasmine doesn’t?””
Nobody spoke.
My father looked at Ethan.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
Ethan shrugged.
“Mom said you would say no.””
That sentence revealed more than Ethan probably realized.
My father slowly turned toward Jessica.
“You told him to hide this from me?””
Jessica looked defensive.
“I was trying to help my son.””
“By hurting my daughter?””
“She has money.””
“And?””
“She doesn’t need it.””
My father’s voice became cold.
“You don’t get to decide that.””
I watched Jessica’s face tighten.
She had always controlled the story.
She was the one who explained things.
She was the one who decided what was reasonable.
But now, my father was finally seeing what I had been too afraid to say.
After breakfast, I went upstairs.
I opened my closet and started putting my clothes away.
My hands stopped when I found an old box under my bed.
Inside were pictures.
My mother.
My father.
Me when I was little.
And one picture of Jessica.
I stared at it for a long time.
Because I remembered when she first came into our lives.
She wasn’t always cruel.
She used to tell me:
“You’ll always have a place here.””
I wondered when that stopped being true.
That afternoon, my father knocked on my door.
“Can I come in?””
I nodded.
He sat beside me.
“I’m sorry.””
I looked at him.
“For what?””
“For not seeing it sooner.””
My eyes filled.
“You trusted her.””
“I trusted everyone to love you the way I do.””
I looked down.
“I thought maybe I wasn’t trying hard enough.””
My father immediately shook his head.
“Jasmine, listen to me.””
He took my hand.
“You never had to earn being my daughter.””
That was the moment I finally cried.
Not because I was weak.
Because I had been holding everything inside for too long.
But later that evening, while I was walking past the living room, I heard Jessica talking on the phone.
I stopped when I heard my name.
“No, he doesn’t know the whole story yet.””
I stayed silent.
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Then Jessica whispered:
“If David finds out what Jasmine inherited from her mother, everything will fall apart.””
