We were still speechless. None of us could
believe he was defending me.
Tiffany’s eyes immediately reddened. She
started her crying act again. “Daddy, Mommy
wasn’t kicking Ashley out. None of us were.
Ashley painted scary things on my wall, and
Mommy just told her not to do it again. Ashley
decided to leave on her own. Mommy tried to
く
Liar. I wasn’t going to let her get away with it
this time. “Whether you believe it or not, I didn’t
paint the wall,” I said.
“I believe you!” Dad said instantly.
He said it with such conviction that even Tiffany
stopped her fake crying, staring at him.
dumbfounded. I was just as stunned.
Mom, clearly not convinced, said, “Honey, you
didn’t see how awful Tiffany’s room looks-”
“Did you not hear Ashley? She said she didn’t
do it! How can you accuse her without even
asking? What kind of mother are you?” Dad
snapped, silencing Mom.
He looked around sternly. “I will investigate
this.”
Panic flashed across Tiffany’s face. She hadn’t
expected him to actually look into such a
く
expected him to actually look into such a
“small” matter. She slipped out of the room.
Dad was true to his word. He gathered
everyone in the garden and questioned them
one by one. Tiffany had used the time to
concoct a story.
The blame eventually fell on a housekeeper
named Chloe, who had been caught trying on
Tiffany’s clothes by Mrs. Davis and had
retaliated by vandalizing the room. Chloe had
apparently run away.
Dad ripped into Mom for jumping to
conclusions. Mom looked slightly guilty, but not
much. Her loyalty still lay with Tiffany.
Tiffany, wiping away fake tears, gave me a fake
apology. “I’m sorry, Ashley. I was just so scared.
I know you don’t really like me, so I believed the
housekeepers when they said it was you…”
Mom chimed in, “Ashley, your sister didn’t mean
- it. Let’s just forget about it.”
Dad wasn’t having it. “Tiffany, are you
insinuating that Ashley is intolerant? Is that
supposed to be an apology? If you want to
apologize, say ‘I’m sorry‘ and mean it. Don’t try
to subtly insult my daughter!”
Tiffany was stunned into silence again. Finally,
she burst into louder tears. “Daddy, I’m your
daughter too! How can you say that to me?”
Mom hugged her. “Honey, what’s gotten into
you today? You’re hurting Tiffany’s feelings.”
Tiffany continued her act. “It’s my fault. I made
Daddy angry. I’m causing trouble. I… I should
just move out. I’ll leave now, Mommy. Don’t try
to stop me…”
Mom, of course, wouldn’t let her go. She
- ))
<
hugged her tighter, about to argue with Dad.
Dad cut her off. “Fine, Tiffany. Pack your bags
and leave.”
Tiffany froze, completely taken aback.
Dad instructed Mrs. Davis, “Pack Tiffany’s
things and have the driver take her to the
school dorms.”
Seeing that Dad was serious, Tiffany panicked,
clinging to Mom. “Mommy, I don’t want to leave
you…”
Mom frowned. “Honey, Tiffany’s never lived
away from home—”
“Be quiet,” Dad thundered. “You’re the one who
spoiled her rotten, never distinguishing right
from wrong, and turned this house into a war
zone. Say another word for her, and you can
move out too!”
85
<
Dad’s anger finally shut Mom up. After all, Tiffany had been caught red–handed.
35
Mom glared at me resentfully before turning
back to Tiffany. “Just stay away for a little
while. I’ll find you a nice apartment, something comfortable.”
Tiffany meekly agreed, but her eyes, when they
met mine, were venomous.
Breakfast the next morning was a feast,
especially for me. There were five of my favorite pork buns. Tiffany had made sure the chef never made them for me after discovering I loved them.
The servants, who’d previously treated me with disdain, were suddenly all smiles and bows. Dad had made his point.
Mrs. Davis had been packing Tiffany’s things since early morning. Not just clothes, but
<
everything a chef, two drivers, two security
guards, four maids, five luxury cars. The works.
Dad had gone ballistic. “Who told you to
prepare all this?”
Mrs. Davis, relying on her years of service, had
said that she’d raised Tiffany and didn’t want
her to suffer.
Dad had exploded. “She’s going to school, not
on vacation! And since when do you run this
house?”
He confiscated everything and fired Mrs. Davis
on the spot. Mrs. Davis had pleaded and cried,
calling Dad heartless, but he didn’t budge.
Security escorted her out.
With Mrs. Davis gone, the other servants knew
the wind had changed. They were falling over
themselves to please me. One even suggested
that after Tiffany left for the dorms, her room,
<
the biggest and best in the house with a walk-
in closet the size of a small apartment, should be redecorated for me.
