4: 4
"Unfair? What do you have to complain about? Who do you think you are?"
My mother spat a mouthful of shells hard into the trash, then stood up and jabbed a finger at my face, shouting.
"I raised you all these years just so you could make my life miserable?"
"A catch like Nat, you couldn't find another one if you searched with a lantern, and you dare to give him attitude?"
"Let me tell you something, Barbara. You march yourself over to the Cox house right now and get down on your knees and beg Nat to forgive you!"
I looked at her without a flicker of feeling and didn't say a word, just turned, walked back into my room, and locked the door.
I put the crushed silver necklace away carefully, and my eyes went cold.
That arrogant Nat Cox, and Abigail with her two faces, and this pair of selfish parents.
Every ounce of pain you piled on me, I'm taking all of it back.
For the next two days I didn't leave the house. I stayed in my room, organizing and adding to my evidence.
Once Nat found out I'd filed a complaint, he cut off every dollar of my allowance to force me to cave.
He also pulled strings through the Cox family and had the company where my parents worked put pressure on them.
So every day at home they screamed themselves hoarse at me, trying to make me sign a statement withdrawing the complaint.
"Are you signing or not? If you don't sign, your father and I are both getting fired!"
My mother waved the document, screeching.
"Nat said it himself. As long as you sign this and admit you filled out your college applications wrong by your own slip of the hand, he'll let us off!"
Looking at that absurd document, I found it laughable beyond words.
"He can dream," I refused, without a second's hesitation.
My father lost it and charged at me. His hand cracked across my face.
"Ungrateful girl! You won't be satisfied until you've driven us both to death, will you?"
"How did I ever give birth to something this vicious!"
I held my swollen cheek, and there was no warmth left in my eyes.
"You forced me to this."
Right then, the doorbell rang.
Thinking it was Nat, my mother slapped on a smile and rushed to answer it.
"Oh, Nat, you're finally here. Barbara, she—"
The door opened, but the one standing outside wasn't Nat.
It was two officers in uniform.
"Excuse me, is this the Henson residence?"
My mother froze and stammered out an answer.
"Y-yes, that's right, officers. Is there something we can help you with?"
They showed their badges first, their faces grave.
"We've received a report. Someone is suspected of illegally accessing a computer information system and altering another person's college applications."
"We need Barbara Henson to cooperate with our investigation."
My mother went white as a sheet, her legs shaking.
"O-officers, isn't there some mistake? This is just kids messing around—"
I pushed the door open and walked out.
"Officers, I'm Barbara Henson. I'm the one who called you."
