Chapter 1: The Empty Space
“Dad, Felicia told me you don’t want me living at home anymore.””
Those words from my daughter’s trembling voice hurt more than anything I had heard that day.
I stood in my garage, staring at my wife.
The woman I had shared seven years of my life with.
The woman who had promised me she would love Jasmine as if she were her own.
Felicia’s face had gone pale.
She knew exactly what she had done.
“Jasmine,” I said carefully, forcing my voice to stay calm, “where are you right now?””
“In my room at Emma’s house.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why are you at Emma’s?””
A quiet sob came through the phone.
“Because Felicia told me to leave.””
I looked at my wife.
She immediately shook her head.
“No. Don’t listen to her. She’s exaggerating.””
I covered the phone with my hand.
“You’re going to stay silent.””
Felicia opened her mouth.
I raised my voice.
“Not one word.””
For once, she listened.
“Jasmine,” I continued, “tell me exactly what happened.””
There was a pause.
Then my daughter spoke.
“After I got back from campus, I noticed my car was gone.””
Her voice cracked.
“I asked Felicia where it was, and she told me you sold it because you were tired of spending money on me.””
I felt my jaw tighten.
“That’s not true.””
“I know,” Jasmine whispered.
The pain in those two words almost broke me.
She knew.
My daughter knew someone was lying.
But she still needed to hear it from me.
“Sweetheart, I would never do that.””
“I know, Dad.””
Another silence.
Then she asked the question that made my heart ache.
“Did she really sell my car?””
I looked at Felicia.
She looked away.
“Yes,” I answered.
Jasmine inhaled sharply.
“Why?””
I didn’t have an answer.
Not one that would make sense.
Not one that would explain why someone who claimed to love her could do something so cruel.
“I’m going to fix this,” I told her.
“Dad…”
“What?””
“Please don’t let her know I called you.””
I frowned.
“Why?””
Her voice dropped.
“Because she gets angry when I tell you things.””
That sentence froze me.
Not because I didn’t believe it.
Because I suddenly remembered every time Jasmine had stopped talking when Felicia entered the room.
Every time she had changed the subject.
Every time she had smiled too quickly.
I had thought it was normal teenage behavior.
I had thought my daughter was simply struggling with having a stepmother.
Maybe I had been wrong.
“Jasmine,” I said softly, “has Felicia ever done anything else that bothered you?””
A long pause followed.
Too long.
“Baby?””
“I don’t want to cause problems.””
My chest tightened.
“You are not causing problems.””
“But Dad…”
“Jasmine.””
I sat down on the concrete floor of the garage.
“You are my daughter. You don’t have to protect me from the truth.””
For several seconds, I heard only her breathing.
Then she whispered:
“Can I come home?””
The question destroyed me.
Because home was supposed to be the one place she never had to ask permission to exist.
“Yes,” I said immediately.
“Come home.””
“But Felicia—”
“Felicia won’t hurt you.””
I looked at my wife.
She looked away.
“Not anymore.””
After I ended the call, the garage became silent.
Felicia slowly walked toward me.
“You had no right to question her like that.””
I stared at her.
“Question her?””
“You made her emotional.””
I laughed quietly.
“You made my daughter think I didn’t want her.””
“I was angry.””
“You sold her car.””
“I was trying to teach her responsibility.””
I stood up.
“Responsibility?””
“Yes.””
Felicia’s confidence returned.
“She’s eighteen now. She needs to learn that she can’t expect everything handed to her.””
I stared at her.
“You mean the car she earned?””
“She didn’t earn it.””
My expression changed.
“She maintained a 4.0 GPA.””
“So?””
“She worked weekends.””
“So did millions of teenagers.””
“She lost her mother when she was six.””
Felicia’s face hardened.
“And there it is.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“You always bring up her mother.””
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Because her mother died.””
“And you never moved on.””
The words landed differently.
Not because they were cruel.
Because they revealed something I had ignored.
“You think Jasmine is the reason I haven’t moved on?””
Felicia crossed her arms.
“I think you built your entire life around a memory.””
I stared at her.
Then I understood.
This was never about a car.
It was about something much uglier.
Jealousy.
Years of it.
“You were jealous of my daughter.””
Her eyes flashed.
“Don’t be ridiculous.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“For years, I told myself you were just struggling. I told myself you needed time.””
I stepped closer.
“But you didn’t need time, Felicia.””
She said nothing.
“You resented her.””
“That’s not true.””
“Then why did you sell her car?””
Silence.
“Why did you tell her I didn’t want her?””
Silence.
“Why did you call your brother instead of telling me where the money went?””
Her expression changed.
Only for a second.
But I saw fear again.
“You keep bringing up Derrick.””
“Because Derrick doesn’t do anything without a reason.””
Felicia looked toward the door.
“I need to leave.””
I moved in front of her.
“No.””
She stopped.
“You don’t get to walk away from this.””
Her voice became colder.
“You’re threatening me now?””
“I’m demanding answers.””
“You’re choosing your daughter over your wife.””
I looked at her.
“Yes.””
She swallowed.
“After everything I’ve done for this family?””
I almost smiled.
“Tell me one thing you did for Jasmine that wasn’t followed by a complaint.””
Her face tightened.
“That’s unfair.””
“No.””
I pointed toward the empty parking space.
“This is unfair.””
My phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
My blood turned cold.
It was a picture.
A picture of Jasmine’s Mercedes.
Parked outside a warehouse.
And underneath it was one sentence.
*YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED YOUR WIFE WHERE SHE REALLY SOLD IT.*
I looked up at Felicia.
She was watching my face.
May you like
And she knew.
She knew exactly who sent it.
