Something dropped behind me.
My parents rushed over to console Jenny. “Ignore her, Jenny. What happened was an accident. It wasn’t your fault.
“If Charlie had told you how dangerous it was earlier, you wouldn’t have risked your life to bring those three kids there. I know Charlie hid it from you on purpose. It’s not the first time she’s had it out for you!
“Get over here and apologize to Jenny now!”
Jared was displeased. “That was mean, Charlie!”
Jenny grabbed his arm as he walked toward me and looked at him sadly. “Mom, Dad, Jared… It’s okay. The first thing she saw when she got out of jail was me winning the award. I can understand why she’s so angry. But Charlie, I got that award through my own hard work. I don’t need your help.
“If it makes you feel better, you can have the trophy. I can leave the house too, if that’s what you want.”
Jenny grabbed the trophy out of my mother’s hands and threw it on the floor. Then, she rushed out of the house.
“Jenny!”
Jared pushed me aside and ran out after her. Shards of the broken trophy cut into my skin as I fell onto them, and I sucked in a cold breath.
Just as I got to my feet, my father kicked the back of my knees, forcing me to kneel on the shards. Pain shot up my spine.
Red quickly stained the floor, but my parents ignored it. A bottle of glue was dropped in front of me.
“You can get up after you finish piecing it back together, or we’ll pretend we never had a daughter.”
I was strangely calm. They had never been on my side since they brought Jenny home.
She was sent to an orphanage after her parents were arrested for their crimes. Her good grades and sweet words enticed my parents to adopt her out of all the other orphans they sponsored.
