Chapter 2

The next day, I drove Ashley to school to drop off some paperwork.

She barely said a word.

As we got close, she finally spoke.

"Mom, I can take out student loans."

My hands tightened on the wheel.

"I can get a part-time job too. Just don't fight with Dad because of me."

I looked over at her.

She was only eighteen.

Other freshmen were talking about dorms and orientation.

Ashley was already thinking about loans, a job, and how to save me money.

That took me back to when Ashley was in middle school.

She'd won first place in a foreign language competition and earned a spot in an out-of-state training program.

She talked about it for days.

But when I mentioned it at dinner, Henry barely cared.

"Why go through all that for some little competition? If she's really that good, colleges will see it anyway."

Ashley had gone still for a second.

"Then I won't go."

That night, I brought her milk and found her under the covers, crying.

After that, she never got to take art classes. She wore the same winter coat for two years and skipped summer camp.

Every time, she said the same thing first.

"I don't really need it."

I parked and gently touched her cheek.

"Ashley, remember this. You deserve what you need for college. You shouldn't feel guilty for needing basic things."

Her eyes immediately filled with tears.

After we finished the paperwork, I didn't go home.

I took her straight to the bank.

The balance was worse than I expected.

I'd worked for years. Made good money.

But now that I actually needed it, there was barely any money left that I could access.

Henry had already taken most of it.

After the bank, I went straight to a jewelry store.

I'd never wanted to sell the jewelry my mom gave me when I got married.

Back then, she told me a woman should always keep something for herself.

I didn't get it then.

Now I did.

So I sold it.

Better to sell it than keep it as proof of how blind I'd been.

With the money, I took Ashley to the mall.

First stop: a laptop.

Her face lit up when she saw the display models, but she still asked about discounts on the cheapest one.

When the sales associate showed us a midrange model, Ashley shook her head fast.

"I don't need anything that nice. I'll just use it for assignments and research."

My chest hurt.

"We'll take this one." I pointed to the midrange model.

She shook her head fast. "Mom, that's way too expensive."

"It's for school. It's not a waste."

Then we bought a new suitcase and a few outfits.

In the clothing section, I grabbed a light jacket for her.

Ashley tried it on and stared at herself in the mirror for a second too long.

Then she looked away.

"Never mind. I probably won't even wear it during orientation."

I walked over and handed the jacket to the sales associate.

"Wrap it up."

Ashley looked at me, her eyes red again.

I didn't let my emotions show. I just kept walking with her.

None of it was anything special.

She'd just never felt like she deserved any of it.

***

That night, the smell of dinner hit us the second we walked in.

Henry was actually cooking.

He glanced over. "You're back? Wash up. Dinner's ready."

Ashley's favorite baked ribs and tomato soup were already on the table.

She stopped cold.

I knew Henry's routine.

He hurt someone, then did one nice thing and acted like that erased everything.

At dinner, he put a rib on Ashley's plate.

"Get all the paperwork done?"

Ashley looked down. "Yeah."

Henry nodded. "Brandon turned in his summer camp paperwork today. Total hassle, but at least he made the deadline."

My fork stopped halfway to my mouth.

He kept going. "Brandon's done pretty well for himself. He's been independent since he was little. Not like kids these days who fall apart over every little thing."

Ashley's grip tightened around her fork.

Her knuckles went white.

I'd had enough.

"So Brandon deserves $30,000, but Ashley gets into a top college and isn't even worth a laptop?"

Henry scowled. "When did I say that?"

"Then explain."

Before he could answer, his phone rang.

He grabbed it and headed straight for the balcony.

No hesitation. No attempt to hide it.

A few minutes later, he came back looking worried.

"I have to go.

"Anna needs more money for a deposit. Brandon's so upset he's crying. I'm going over to see what happened."

Ashley went pale.

I looked at Henry and felt weirdly calm.

"Go."

Henry looked surprised.

He paused for half a second, then grabbed his keys and left.

The second the door shut, it was just Ashley and me at the table.

Dinner was still warm.

Now it just felt like a joke.

Ashley stared down at her plate for a long time.

Then, barely above a whisper, she asked, "Mom... did Dad ever put me first?"

I crouched beside her and took her hand.

"It's not that you weren't important.

"He just never deserved you."