She Got Five Suitcase, I Got A Broken Backpack Chapter 08
I pushed open the door to the security office. A stainless steel
thermos flew straight at my face and slammed into the wall beside my head.
You little beast–you actually have the nerve to show yourself!”
Dad’s eyes were bloodshot, his finger jabbed at my nose as he
raged. “Pack your things right now and get the hell back home with us!”
Mom sat on the couch wiping tears, her carefully done
makeup smeared into a wreck. Her voice was sharp and
piercing. “Tessa, your sister hasn’t eaten properly in two days.
How could you be this selfish? Stealing money from the
family and running off here–do you have any conscience left at all?!”
Simon stood with his arms crossed and turned to apply
pressure on the advisor. “This is her. My sister, the
pathological liar. Not only did she secretly change her college
applications behind our backs, she also stole twenty
thousand dollars in cash from the family. Is this the kind of
student–with this kind of rotten character–that Stanford
wants to keep? Start the expulsion process immediately.
We’re taking her home today, no question.”
The advisor’s brow furrowed deeply, and she stepped forward
to shield me. “Parents, nothing has been investigated yet.
Please do not shout and hurl personal attacks on campus.”
“Advisor, it’s fine.”
I calmly stepped around her and looked directly at the three.
-people who shared my blood–these so–called “family.”
“I stole money?”
I let out a cold laugh, unzipped my backpack, pulled out a
stack of documents I’d prepared long ago, and slapped them
hard onto the coffee table.
Here is a copy of my full scholarship award letter from
Stanford. Here are contracts for both of my tutoring jobs
since I arrived on campus. And here-” I held up the
-are the complete bank statements for my account.”
papers,
fixed them with a freezing glare, pinning their shifting,
evasive eyes. “From the day I graduated high school to this
moment, I have not taken a single cent from the Brooks family.”
Dad’s face cycled through shades of purple and white at being
exposed in public. His chest heaved violently. “Don’t you dare
wave those papers around trying to fool everyone! I’m telling
you right now–I won’t pay a dime for your tuition or living
expenses. Let’s see how long you last here! Withdraw from
this school immediately!”
*Cut off my living expenses?”
I stared at him as if he’d just told the funniest joke on earth.
*Dad, you seem to have forgotten–ever since you dumped me
in that boarding school in middle school, you’ve given me
three hundred dollars a month. Total. Money that wasn’t
even enough to buy study materials. I survived by collecting
bottles and doing homework for classmates. And now you’re
standing here trying to blackmail me with money? Don’t you
find that a little absurd?”
Tessa Brooks!”
Simon roared in frustration, his face contorted. “Don’t you
stand there dragging up old accounts! Mia is delicate–she’s
frail! You’re her older sister–giving in to her, taking care of
her, that’s your natural–born duty! You disappeared without
a word and ran off to Boston–you’ve humiliated this entire family!”
Natural–born duty?” I turned and stared straight at him.
Natural–born duty to have my luggage thrown into the trash
along with my admission letter? Natural–born duty to have
only Mia’s name on the celebration banner? Natural–born
duty to let her bring five suitcases in a private car while I
take a cab to the airport alone?”
Mom shot to her feet, her voice rising to a scream. “She’s your
own sister! She’s so innocent–what’s wrong with being a
little more understanding? You’re just jealous of her!”
“Jealous that without me as her full–time nanny, she can’t
even survive?”
I stepped closer, watching them retreat step by step, my voice
dropping to ice.
“You didn’t come charging in here today because you
suddenly care about me. You’re furious because the
marionette you controlled for eighteen years cut her own
strings and walked away. You’re furious because Mia lost her
personal blood bag–someone to trample on whenever she pleased!”
The reception room fell into absolute silence. My words had
ripped away every last shred of their hypocritical mask. The
three of them stood there, mouths open, faces twisted with
humiliation, completely speechless.
“Since you’re so determined to tear everything apart, let’s
make this a clean break. Right now.”
I picked up my phone from the table. The screen showed a
call in progress–911.
I already called the police. Since you’re publicly accusing me
of theft, let’s let them investigate and get to the bottom of it!”
Dad’s face twisted with rage as he lunged for my phone-
And at that exact moment, the phone in Simon’s pocket
started buzzing frantically.
He yanked it out, answered irritably–and in the next second,
every drop of color drained from his face. Even his voice
cracked and split. “What did you say?! Mia got into a fight in
her dorm–pushed her roommate down the stairs–she’s in the ICU?!”