Back to reality.
Ashley had been missing for days.
Everyone told my parents to move on.
Some people said Ashley was probably dead.
- 5.
Everyone froze when she appeared at the
party.
Before we could react, the security guards
were on her.
“How did you get in here? Do you know this
is the valedictorian’s party?”
“What are you doing here, you bum!”
They grabbed her and started dragging her
out.
Ashley broke free and started to cry.
My parents looked confused.
Ashley got down on her knees.
“Mom, Dad, it’s me, Ashley. I finally found
you.”
<
My parents went stiff.
They stared at each other.
They couldn’t believe it was their little girl.
She was wearing rags, covered in dirt.
Her hair was a mess.
She was in her teens, but she looked like she
was thirty.
Her skin was rough.
She was skin and bones.
She was malnourished.
It looked like she had been abused for years.
My parents frowned.
I smiled and moved closer to my parents.
“Maybe we should give her some food and
send her on her way.”
“This is my party. She’s bad luck.”
My parents agreed.
But before they could say anything, Ashley
stood up and ran to them.
“I really am Ashley.”
“I have a mole on my ear and a birthmark on
my left shoulder!”
She knew what Ashley looked like.
My parents went pale.
Their legs went weak.
My dad told the guests to leave.
He told them not to say anything.
My mom grabbed her and started to cry.
“Is it really you? You’ve been gone for so
long. We thought you were dead.”
Ashley started crying too.
The party turned into a family reunion.
I stood there quietly.
When they were done crying, I spoke.
“Ashley has been gone for so long. Maybe we
should have a doctor check her out.”
Ashley looked at me.
She remembered everything.
Hate and anger flashed in her eyes.
She pointed at me and started yelling.
“Emily, you knew I was kidnapped!”
“I saw you in the store! I saw you watching
me get taken! You didn’t do anything… You
did it on purpose!”
“You wanted to steal the inheritance!”
- 6.
My dad was heartbroken and started to
accept it.
He focused on me.
My mom cried all the time and treated me like
crap.
“Why couldn’t you have died? Ashley was so
cute. She didn’t deserve this!”
“You’re not as good as Ashley’s hair. Don’t
think you can replace her!”
“Even if she’s gone, I’ll never love you. I hate
you.”
I didn’t react.
I didn’t need her love.
The company would be mine someday.
It was better to improve myself.
Luckily, my dad was still okay.
Now that he lost a daughter, he gave me
whatever I wanted.
I signed up for dance class, calligraphy, and
self–defense.
I was a great student.
I always got the best grades and made my
parents proud.
People would compliment me and make my
parents feel good.
く
I gave my parents smart business advice, and
they had a lot of success.
Over time, my mom started to change how
she felt about me.
The way she looked at me was different.
I was independent and smart.
Years went by, and my mom slowly started to
accept me.
She started to forget about Ashley.
She focused on me.
I didn’t fall for it, but I pretended to be
grateful.
I didn’t know if Ashley would ever come back.
I had to plan for anything.
First, I had to keep up my good reputation
with my parents.
Then, it was my senior year.
I was the valedictorian and got into Harvard.
My parents were so happy they threw a big
party for me.
く
It should have been a happy day.
But no one saw what was coming.
That day, Ashley came back.
