Chapter 3

On the last day of summer break, during school orientation, Mia crumpled the choir sign-up form her teacher had handed out and shoved it into her backpack.

That afternoon, her homeroom teacher called me.

She said that several children had surrounded Mia in the music room and shoved her around. Someone had shared the promotional video in the class group chat, and the kids had pointed at her, shouting, "You're the girl who stole someone else's song!

"It was Ian's song, but you claimed it was yours. Aren't you ashamed?"

At first, Mia had simply lowered her head and said nothing.

But when someone snatched her songbook and wrote "thief" across the cover, she suddenly tore up the sign-up form and ran out, hiding in the girls' bathroom.

When the teacher found her, she had locked herself inside a stall, trembling as she sobbed.

"Anything I sing gets taken away.

"I don't want to sing anymore."

After hanging up, I replied to the Silverton branch.

"Is the transfer offer still available? I'd like to know about the procedures for transferring to a nearby elementary school."

On Mia's birthday, Thea came home at 6:00 pm.

She decorated the living room with star-shaped lights, bought the camera Mia had been asking for for ages, and even made a handmade "Mommy-Daughter Time" voucher.

Mia turned the voucher over in her hands several times but didn't squeal with excitement like she used to. She only asked, "You won't leave today?"

"Of course not."

Thea kissed her forehead and turned off her phone right in front of us.

She tied on an apron and joined me in making pancakes. A little flour got on the tip of her nose.

When Mia reached up to wipe it away, Thea deliberately chased her around, covering her daughter's face with kisses.

The house was filled with laughter.

Watching them huddled together in the kitchen, for an instant, I almost believed that if she stopped now, it wouldn't be too late to fix everything.

At seven, the doorbell rang.

Clark stood outside with Ian, who was holding his guitar.

"The program organizers are doing a last-minute review. They need an unaccompanied, unedited vocal recording by tomorrow morning."

Clark looked apologetic. "Ian was so nervous that he couldn't find the right notes. I didn't know what else to do."

Thea glanced back at Mia.

"I won't go anywhere. I'll help him record it here at home. It'll be quick."

Mia clenched the voucher tightly. "You said today was just for us."

"He'll leave as soon as he's done recording. We'll make it in time for you to blow your candles."

Thea picked up her phone and turned it back on.

Ian tried several times, but he still couldn't get the notes right.

At first, Thea was patient. Then, she turned to her daughter. "Sweetheart, why don't you sing with him?"

I pulled Mia behind me. "No."

Thea glared at me. She took a deep breath and said, "Jack, can you stop undermining me at the worst possible moment? If this project falls apart, all the work dozens of people have put into it will go to waste."

"It was Mia's song to begin with."

Suddenly, a loud crash sounded.

By the time Mia ran over, her birthday cake was already on the floor, frosting smeared all over the carpet.

Ian stood beside it, strawberry juice still on his hands.

"I only touched it."

Mia's eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Daddy ordered that cake for me."

But Ian ducked behind Thea and looked up at her.

"It's just a stupid cake. My dad told me that all the pretty lights, the camera, your song, and even your mommy will be mine in the end."

The room fell silent.

My eyes landed on the silver bracelet around his wrist. I felt my blood grow cold.

It was a family heirloom my parents had left for Mia. Her birthdate was engraved on the inside.

Mia had been born prematurely. My parents had placed the bracelet outside her incubator, saying they'd wait until she was a little older before letting her wear it.

After they passed away, Mia took it out and polished it every year on her birthday.

But now, it was on Ian's wrist.

I walked over to take it off.

Clark immediately pulled his son behind him and smiled wryly. "Jack, don't scare the boy. Ian grew up without a mother or even grandparents. He liked the bracelet when he saw it, so Thea let him wear it for a little while."

Thea blocked my hand as well. She frowned at me, as though I were the one being unreasonable.

"Do you really have to make a scene on our daughter's birthday?"

Just then, the doorbell rang again. The food delivery had arrived.

Thea seemed relieved to have an excuse to end the confrontation and said, "Let's eat first. We can talk after. Can't let the kids go hungry."

I stared at the frosting smearing across the floor and at Mia's reddened eyes. In the end, I didn't approach them again.

That day was her eighth birthday. I didn't want her memories of it to be nothing but things being taken from her and her parents fighting.