Chapter 5: The Person Behind The Screen
The next morning, I woke up feeling like I had lived through someone else’s nightmare.
For a few seconds, everything felt normal.
The sunlight came through my curtains.
My alarm was still set.
My graduation gown was hanging on the chair.
Then I looked down.
And I remembered.
The torn dress.
The hidden scholarship.
The secrets.
The way my family had quietly rewritten my life without asking me.
I got out of bed and walked downstairs.
Nobody was eating breakfast.
That alone felt strange.
Usually, Dad would be making coffee.
Mom would be talking about her schedule.
Mia would be complaining about something.
But that morning, everyone was silent.
Dad sat at the table with his laptop open.
When he saw me, he immediately closed it.
“What?””
He looked away.
“Nothing.””
I pulled out a chair.
“Dad.””
He sighed.
“I was trying to find answers.””
“About the scholarship?””
He nodded.
“And about the account access.””
My stomach tightened.
“Did you find something?””
Before he could answer, Mom walked in.
“David.””
Dad looked at her.
“We need to tell her.””
Mom froze.
“Are you sure?””
I looked between them.
“What are you talking about?””
Dad rubbed his face.
“Emily, there are things we should have told you earlier.””
That sentence was becoming something I hated hearing.
Every time someone said it, my world changed.
“What things?””
Dad looked at Mia.
She was standing in the doorway.
“I think she deserves the truth.””
Mia swallowed.
Then she walked in.
“I didn’t do everything.””
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?””
She sat down slowly.
“The scholarship. The emails. The applications.””
She looked embarrassed.
“I helped.””
My heart tightened.
“But someone showed me how.””
I leaned forward.
“Who?””
Mia didn’t answer.
Dad opened the laptop.
On the screen was a list of login records.
“There were multiple accesses.””
He pointed.
“Mia’s account was used.””
Then another line appeared.
“Someone else’s too.””
I read the name.
And my breath caught.
Because I knew it.
I looked at my mother.
“Mom?””
She went pale.
“No.””
Dad looked at her.
“Sarah.””
My mother shook her head.
“I didn’t.””
“Then why was your account logged in?””
“I don’t know.””
Nobody spoke.
Mia looked terrified.
“Mom…”
My mother’s eyes filled with tears.
“I only wanted to help you.””
The words barely came out.
Dad stared.
“Help who?””
“Mia.””
I felt something inside me collapse.
Not because she chose Mia.
Because she chose a version of Mia that didn’t exist.
She protected her from consequences.
And destroyed me in the process.
Dad stood up.
“So you accessed Emily’s accounts?””
Mom shook her head.
“I didn’t change anything.””
“Then what did you do?””
Silence.
Then she whispered:
“I deleted the notification emails.””
I felt numb.
“You deleted them?””
She looked at me.
“I thought if Emily didn’t leave immediately, we would have more time.””
I stared.
“You didn’t want me to go.””
She shook her head.
“I wasn’t ready.””
The room became painfully quiet.
I looked at my father.
“Did you know?””
He looked ashamed.
“No.””
That answer mattered.
Because Dad had failed me.
But he hadn’t chosen this.
Mom reached for my hand.
I moved away.
The hurt on her face was real.
But I couldn’t pretend everything was okay.
Not anymore.
Then Mia suddenly stood.
“Wait.””
Everyone looked at her.
“What?””
She looked at the laptop.
“There’s another login.””
Dad frowned.
“What?””
She pointed.
“That one.””
Dad leaned closer.
His face changed.
“That’s from yesterday.””
I looked at the screen.
A new access.
After Dad had already discovered everything.
Someone had logged into my account again.
“Who would do that?””
Nobody answered.
Dad clicked the record.
The location appeared.
A local coffee shop.
I frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.””
Dad looked at me.
“Why?””
“Because I know that place.””
My voice became quiet.
“I saw someone there last week.””
Everyone stared.
“Who?””
I swallowed.
“A person who knew about my graduation.””
Dad stood.
“Who?””
I remembered the conversation.
The strange questions.
The way they acted like they already knew everything.
Then I said the name.
And Mia’s face immediately changed.
Because she knew exactly who I was talking about.
“It was…”
I stopped.
My phone suddenly buzzed.
A message appeared.
No number.
No name.
Just a photo.
My heart stopped when I opened it.
It was a picture of my destroyed dress.
Taken from inside my room.
Before Dad came home.
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Underneath it was one sentence:
*You still think Mia did this alone?*