Chapter 4

Ms. Lowe tried to say something, but Mom cut her off. "Ms. Lowe, we know you mean well, but as her parents, we know how to handle our child."

Dad stood up as well. "We're already dealing with Sophie's behavior. So, we won't take up any more of your time today."

Ms. Lowe clearly wasn't done, but Mom had already opened the door for her. After a pause, she could only sigh and leave.

As soon as the door closed, Mom scoffed. "All Sophie ever does is cause us trouble. Forget it. I'll head to the grocery store."

Just as she reached into her wallet, she froze. "Where's my money? I clearly put the 100-dollar bill I had left after buying Bridget's clothes yesterday in the inner pocket of my wallet!"

I hovered nearby, shaking my head. "No, Mom. You stuffed the money into that white shopping bag without thinking yesterday. The bag tipped over later, and the money slid underneath the couch."

By the time Mom snapped her head up, her face already contorted with rage. "It was Sophie! She definitely stole it!"

I froze in disbelief.

She gritted her teeth. "Bridget gets enough pocket money every month. She has no reason to steal. Sophie's the only one in this house who has no money!"

Pain tore through my chest, and tears ran down my face.

I rushed to Mom's side and shook my head desperately. "It wasn't me! The money's right under the couch! If you just bend down and look, you'll see it!"

Of course, she couldn't hear me. She was trembling with rage, her voice burning with anger. "Come on, honey! We're bringing that brat home today! It's time she learned a proper lesson!"

First, they went to the optical store. The employee shook her head and told them I had left on my own after the store closed. So, they began searching the surrounding area.

They hadn't gone far when they spotted police tape stretched across the road ahead. Red and blue lights flashed harshly. Snatches of conversation drifted over from the crowd.

"What a tragedy. A young girl was hit by a truck and thrown into a ditch… She didn't have a phone or any ID on her. No one's come to identify her yet."

Dad frowned when he heard that. "Kids these days are such a handful. They never make things easy for their parents. She probably ran off just because she felt a little wronged. Imagine how heartbroken her parents must be when they find out."

Mom shook her head and snorted. "Exactly. Once we find Sophie, I'll bring her here to see this. Then she'll understand the consequences of not listening to us!"

I smiled bitterly beside them. "Yeah. I understand it now. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I should've listened to you. I brought this on myself and disappointed you again."

They sighed and walked around the crowd, continuing their search. A few hundred yards later, Mom suddenly stopped. She was staring at a sneaker lying in the grass, caked in mud and dirty water.

She bent down to pick it up, and her expression darkened instantly. "This is Sophie's shoe."

Dad looked around, frowning. "How did her shoe end up here?"

Mom seemed to have found her own answer. She gritted her teeth. "She's destroying her own belongings just to get back at us! I shouldn't have gone soft on her yesterday and thought of taking her to get her eyes checked!"

His expression darkened, too. "How did she turn out like this?"

I floated in front of Mom, sobbing so hard that my whole body trembled. "Mom, I didn't throw it away… It fell off, but I couldn't see clearly enough to find it. I didn't do it on purpose…"

Just then, a police officer searching nearby overheard them and hurried over. "Did you just say Sophie Sink?"

He took out a clear evidence pouch. Inside was a broken transit card, snapped in half. My name was printed on it.

His expression turned grave. "The deceased's name was Sophie Sink. May I ask what your relationship to her was?"