It was Shelly.
She’d been listening the whole time.
Before, I liked Shane, so I treated his sister
like family.
I worked two jobs, wore my fingers to the
bone, and saved up to make her new clothes,
even letting her have my chance to move
back to the city, so she could live a good life.
But my love had become a weapon they used
against me.
I saw the metal box she was holding, and my
heart clenched.
That was my dad’s!
No wonder I couldn’t find it. She’d stolen it.
I snatched the box, but it was empty.
“Where’s the watch? My dad’s watch!”
I raised my hand to slap Shelly, but she
started crying and hid behind Shane.
He shoved me hard.
Г
“I sold the watch! To pay for the hospital bills.
If you’d taken the baby in sooner, he wouldn’t
have ended up in the hospital! It’s all your
fault!”
“Besides,” he added, “are dead people more
important than the living?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
Three years ago, Shane had fallen into the
river, and my dad had saved him, drowning in
the process. We never even found his body.
That watch was the last thing I had to
remember him by.
Maybe Shane realized what he’d said,
because he looked ashamed.
r
“Alright, I’ll buy it back when I have the
money.”
I gritted my teeth.
“What about the picture in the watch? Surely
they didn’t take my dad’s picture too.”
Shelly laughed.
“Dead people are bad luck, so I burned the
picture for them.”
I nearly fainted.
Anger and hatred threatened to burst inside
- me.
Shane, scared I’d lose control and hurt Shelly,
dragged me out of the room.
He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm,
and said, “Shelly shouldn’t have burned your dad’s picture, I’ll talk to her. You always liked
me, right? If you adopt the baby, I might
