Chapter 1: The Broken Screen
Caleb froze with his small hands clutching the pocket of his black hoodie. His breath stopped halfway between a gasp and a scream.
The television lay shattered across the living room floor, the screen cracked into a spiderweb of silver lines. The soccer ball rested beside the broken glass like evidence left behind at a crime scene.
“Oh no… Dad’s TV,” Caleb whispered.
His eyes jumped toward the front door.
For one terrifying second, he imagined his father’s tall figure appearing in the doorway, his tired face turning into disappointment. Caleb knew the rules. No soccer inside.
No throwing things. No touching the expensive electronics.
And now the one thing he was never supposed to do had happened.
“I’m dead,” he murmured.
Fear crawled up his chest. Before he could think about what was right or wrong, his body moved on instinct.
He ran.
His sneakers slammed against the wooden staircase as he climbed two steps at a time. His hoodie bounced against his back while his fingers gripped the railing. He reached his bedroom, pushed the door open, and slipped inside.
Click.
The lock wasn’t turned.
But the quiet sound of the door closing felt like a wall between him and the disaster downstairs.
He crawled onto his bed, pulling his blanket over his head.
Maybe if nobody saw him, the problem would disappear.
Maybe if he stayed silent long enough, someone else would find a way to fix it.
He didn’t hear the footsteps that followed.
He didn’t hear Vanessa enter the living room.
The crash had been loud enough to shake the entire first floor.
Vanessa appeared from the kitchen, wiping her damp hands with a designer dish towel. Her sleek black bob barely moved as she walked, every step controlled and deliberate. She wore a fitted black dress, the kind she saved for important meetings and expensive dinners.
Her eyes immediately landed on the broken television.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then her lips slowly curved.
Not in shock.
Not in sadness.
In calculation.
“What happened here?”” Vanessa asked.
Her voice sliced through the room.
At that exact moment, twelve-year-old Nia stepped out from the hallway carrying a wicker basket filled with freshly folded towels. She stopped when she saw the destruction.
Her mouth fell open.
“I just walked in,” Nia said.
Vanessa turned toward her.
The accusation came before the question.
“You broke the TV.””
Nia stared at her in disbelief.
“What?””
Vanessa walked closer, her heels tapping against the hardwood floor.
“I asked what happened.””
“I don’t know!”” Nia placed the basket down carefully.
“I was downstairs doing laundry. I didn’t even know this happened until I heard the noise.””
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“Interesting.””
Nia frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“It means you always have an excuse.””
Nia looked toward the staircase.
“Caleb was playing soccer in here.””
The room went still.
Vanessa’s expression hardened instantly.
“Don’t.””
“Please,” Nia said quickly.
“Just ask him. He was the one with the ball.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Are you blaming your little brother?””
“I’m telling the truth!””
“You think that makes you look innocent?””
Nia shook her head, her eyes filling with confusion.
“No. I think it makes me honest.””
Vanessa glanced at the soccer ball on the floor.
Then she looked back at Nia.
The girl watched her carefully.
She had learned something during the past year.
Vanessa didn’t need proof.
She only needed a story.
Ever since Vanessa married their father, the house had changed. The warm family dinners became silent meals. The jokes disappeared. The pictures of Nia’s mother were moved from the hallway into a storage box.
And somehow, every problem seemed to land on Nia.
The missing necklace.
The spilled wine.
The broken vase.
The argument between siblings.
Somehow, it was always Nia.
Vanessa pointed toward the staircase.
“Where is Caleb?””
Nia hesitated.
“In his room, I guess.””
“Of course.””
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“It means he ran because he knows what he did.””
Nia’s eyes widened.
“No. He ran because he’s scared.””
“And why would he be scared?””
“Because Dad will be angry.””
Vanessa smiled faintly.
“Exactly.””
Nia realized what was happening.
“No.””
Vanessa raised an eyebrow.
“No?””
“You’re going to blame me.””
“I’m not blaming anyone. I’m simply recognizing a pattern.””
“There is no pattern!””
Vanessa’s expression changed.
It became colder.
“You’ve been angry since the day I came into this family.””
“That’s not true.””
“You think your father doesn’t notice?””
Nia swallowed.
Her father was always busy.
That was the problem.
He noticed what people showed him.
And Vanessa was very good at showing him exactly what she wanted him to see.
“I miss my mom,” Nia whispered.
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Vanessa’s face remained calm.
But her eyes sharpened.
“There it is.””
Nia looked up.
“What?””
“The reason you act this way.””
“I don’t act any way.””
“You’re trying to punish this family because you can’t accept change.””
Nia stepped back.
“That’s not fair.””
Vanessa pointed toward the empty corner beside the tall china cabinet.
“Face the wall.””
Nia stared at her.
“What?””
“You heard me.””
“I didn’t break anything.””
Vanessa’s voice became louder.
“Face the wall. Now.””
Nia looked toward the staircase.
Toward Caleb’s bedroom door.
She waited.
Maybe he would come out.
Maybe he would tell the truth.
Maybe her little brother would remember all the times she protected him.
The house stayed silent.
Her shoulders dropped.
Slowly, she turned and walked toward the corner.
Vanessa watched her.
“Stay there until your father comes home.””
Tears burned in Nia’s eyes.
“This isn’t right.””
Vanessa picked up the soccer ball from the floor.
Then she leaned closer.
“You should be careful, Nia. People who constantly create problems eventually become the problem.””
Nia pressed her lips together.
She refused to cry in front of her.
Vanessa walked away.
The living room became quiet again.
Upstairs, Caleb sat frozen on his bed.
He had heard everything.
Every word.
Every accusation.
His fingers tightened around his hoodie pocket.
He wanted to run downstairs.
He wanted to say it was him.
But his mind kept showing him the same picture.
His father’s disappointed face.
Vanessa’s angry voice.
The punishment waiting for him.
So he stayed hidden.
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
The sun moved lower outside the window.
Finally, Caleb heard the front door open.
His father was home.
“Vanessa?”” his father called.
“Daniel,” Vanessa replied sweetly.
“You’re back.””
Caleb slowly moved toward his bedroom door.
He pressed his ear against it.
“How was your day?”” Vanessa asked.
“Long,” Daniel said.
“What happened? Why is the house so quiet?””
A pause.
Then Vanessa sighed.
The kind of sigh that sounded like sadness.
“I didn’t want to upset you.””
Caleb’s stomach tightened.
“Upset me about what?”” Daniel asked.
“I came into the living room and found the television broken.””
Silence.
Then Daniel spoke.
“Broken?””
“Yes.””
“Who did it?””
Caleb closed his eyes.
He already knew the answer.
Downstairs, Vanessa lowered her voice.
“I think you know.””
A chair scraped against the floor.
Daniel sounded confused.
“Where’s Caleb?””
“He ran upstairs.””
“And Nia?””
Another pause.
Then Vanessa answered.
“She’s in the dining room.””
Caleb’s heart started pounding.
He opened his bedroom door slightly and looked down the staircase.
He could see his father standing in the hallway.
He could see Vanessa beside him.
And he could see Nia still standing in the corner.
Daniel looked at her.
“Nia?””
His sister slowly turned around.
Her face was wet with tears she had tried so hard not to shed.
“Dad…”
Daniel looked from her to the broken television.
Then back to Vanessa.
“Tell me exactly what happened.””
Caleb held his breath.
For the first time, he thought maybe the truth would come out.
Maybe he could fix this.
Maybe he could be brave.
Then Vanessa reached into her purse.
And pulled out something small.
Something Caleb immediately recognized.
His blood turned cold.
Because it was the one thing he had lost earlier that day.
And Vanessa was holding it in her hand.
“Daniel,” she said softly, “I found this next to the television.””
Caleb stepped back from the door.
May you like
His fingers went numb.
Because what Vanessa was holding was his… *.*
