Chapter 14 - The Voicemail
The Harper Foundation's attorney sent Lauren a cease-contact notice.
That should have ended it.
Instead, Lauren posted online.
She did not use my name.
She did not need to.
She wrote about "ungrateful children who destroy blended families" and "institutions rewarding manipulation."
People who knew us understood.
Comments spread.
Some defended her.
Some attacked me.
I made the mistake of reading them at two in the morning.
Grandma took my phone.
"Never accept a jury you didn't choose."
"That's not a real saying."
"It is now."
Dad's attorney told us not to respond publicly.
Good advice.
Hard advice.
Mia saw the post too.
She did something surprising.
She commented from her own account:
I cut Claire's dress. She did not attack me. My mom knew I accessed Claire's accounts and covered for me. Stop blaming Claire for things I did.
The post disappeared twenty minutes later.
Screenshots did not.
Lauren called Mia screaming.
Mia put the phone down and shook.
Dad said, "You don't have to answer."
Mia whispered, "She'll hate me."
I knew that fear.
Not the same version.
Close enough.
Then my phone rang.
Harper Foundation.
My heart stopped.
The chair said they had reached a decision.
I had been awarded the scholarship.
Full tuition for four years.
I sat on the kitchen floor.
Dad started crying.
Grandma screamed so loudly the dog next door barked.
Mia covered her face.
For one minute, everything felt light.
Then the chair added:
"Claire, there is one unusual condition we need to discuss."
My stomach dropped.
The scholarship included housing support only if I attended the partner university I had listed first.
I had changed that choice months ago.
At least, I thought I had.
The Harper file still listed Northwestern University.
May you like
I had never applied to Northwestern.
Somebody had submitted an application in my name.
