Chapter 7 - SOPHIA’S SCHOOL
Sophia was supposed to attend Arden Preparatory.
According to my statements.
Tuition:
$38,000 annually.
I had received photographs.
Uniform.
Classroom.
A report card.
The school confirmed:
No Sophia Sterling ever enrolled.
The photograph?
Stock image from a summer admissions brochure.
Someone digitally placed Sophia’s face.
The report card?
Template.
Fake.
Grace stared at it.
“They told me you refused school money.”
I looked at the grades.
Reading:
Excellent.
Math:
Excellent.
Social development:
Excellent.
My daughter’s fake childhood was thriving beautifully.
The real Sophia had missed twenty-three days of kindergarten because housing instability made transportation difficult.
I went into the bathroom.
Locked the door.
Then punched the wall.
Once.
My hand hurt.
Good.
Better than punching a person.
I stood there breathing until Daniel knocked.
“Alex.”
“I’m fine.”
“No one believes men who punch bathrooms and say they’re fine.”
I opened the door.
He looked at my hand.
“Done?”
May you like
“Yes.”
“Good. We need you useful.”
