The Divorce Countdown: Tears in the Closet

I was the most troublesome six-year-old little tyrant in Aviator Gardens, Silverpine, Franklin. My dad was an airline captain, and my mom was the principal dancer of the Silverpine Ballet Company. I was the proof of their love. Whenever Dad returned from a flight, the first thing he did was rub his stubbled cheek against mine; Mom even insured her hands for a fortune because she used them to braid my hair. I could cover the walls with paint and refuse every part of a pork rib except the crunchy cartilage. Then last night, while hiding in the closet during hide-and-seek, I suddenly heard a strange countdown announcement. [Only a few days remain before the host's parents confess their divorce.] [Prepare yourself. Because the host is excessively unruly, male lead Adrian Johnston has decided to leave the marriage with nothing, while female lead Elena Johnston has already contacted a boarding school.] [They will soon build separate families and welcome obedient new babies.] In the dark closet, I covered my mouth with both hands while tears soaked my face. The next morning, Mom brought me warm milk, and Dad waited with a hairbrush. I did not roll across the bed shouting that I refused to go to preschool. I pulled on the hardest pair of uniform overalls by myself and silently drank every drop of milk without leaving a stain. Then I walked to Dad, looked up, twisted the edge of my shirt in both hands, and spoke through a trembling voice. "Mommy, Daddy, I won't draw on the walls anymore. I won't ask for rib cartilage. I'll wash my own socks... When you go to your new homes, can you...can you take me with you?" Chapter 1 Adrian Johnston froze with the hairbrush suspended in midair. The empty milk glass in Elena's hand struck the edge of the dining table with a dull sound. They both looked at me in shock. "Lily, what are you talking about?" Dad crouched until we were eye to eye and pressed his large palm to my forehead. "Are you still half asleep? Did you have a nightmare?" "I didn't have a nightmare." I stepped backward and avoided his hand. I did not dare let them touch me. The system said they no longer wanted me because I was too badly behaved. I turned and ran to the entryway, forcing my feet into the sneakers Dad usually helped me wear. I could not tie the laces, so I shoved them messily inside the shoes. "Lily will walk to preschool today. Daddy doesn't have to carry me." I lowered my head and stared at the floor. Mom hurried over and caught my arm. "Lily, what is happening today? Who taught you to say those things?" Her voice sounded impatient. I could hear it. She had to think I was annoying. I forced the burning tears back, pressed my lips together, opened the door, and left without another word. At preschool, I did not fight to be first on the slide all day. Lunch included carrots, which I hated most. I closed my eyes, barely chewed, and swallowed them whole. Nausea twisted my stomach, but I covered my mouth and forced it down. I had to become a good child. Good children were not sent to boarding school. After class, Dad stood outside the gate in his crisp captain's uniform. Usually, I sprinted toward him and launched myself into his arms. Today, I did not. I walked over and held the edge of his jacket properly. Dad looked down at my hand, and a deep crease formed between his brows. That night, I did not ask for a bedtime story. I pulled up the blanket and closed my eyes by myself. Late at night, I secretly climbed out of bed and crept to my parents' bedroom. The door was not fully closed, and warm yellow light spilled through the gap. "Lily is acting completely unlike herself." Dad kept his voice low. "She even ate a bite of the Brussels sprouts she hates most, and she didn't cry once." Mom sounded exhausted. "Where did she hear that nonsense about divorce and new homes?" "We have to find out. Is someone gossiping around Aviator Gardens? Did another child say something at school?" I leaned against the wall, my palms covered in sweat. They had not denied the divorce. They were only wondering how I learned about it early. The system had told the truth. At that moment, the doorbell rang. At eleven at night, the sound cut sharply through the quiet house. Dad went to answer it. My grandmother stood outside, holding the hand of a little girl in a pink dress. "Mom? Why are you here this late?" Grandma pushed the child forward. "Adrian, this is Nora Mercer, the daughter of a distant cousin. Her mother has gone overseas for advanced training, and no one can care for her. She's quiet and obedient, and you have plenty of space, so I thought she could stay here for a while. Perhaps Lily can learn some manners from her." I peeked out from the shadows of the hallway at the girl called Nora. She looked about seven, with perfectly combed hair and an old cloth doll in her arms. [Warning: Replacement has entered.] The voice sounded again inside my head. My entire body began to shake. Chapter 2 The next day was Saturday. I dressed by myself early and went downstairs. Nora Mercer was already awake in the living room. She was wiping dust from the coffee table with a cloth. Mom carried breakfast from the kitchen, saw her, and quickly took the cloth away. "Nora, you're our guest. You don't need to do chores. Wash your hands and get ready to eat." "Mrs. Johnston, I'm used to helping at home. Children should help adults." Nora bowed properly and spoke in a soft voice. Mom turned toward me as I reached the bottom of the stairs. I stood there, curling my toes inside my slippers. I wanted to help too, but I did not even know where the cleaning cloths were kept. "Lily, come eat." Dad walked out of the study and pulled out a chair. Breakfast was fried eggs and toast. Nora sat perfectly straight and took tiny bites of toast without dropping a single crumb. The edge of my fried egg was slightly burned. Before, I would have shouted until Dad made another one. I picked up my fork, cut off the blackened edge, and put it in my mouth. It tasted bitter. "Lily," Dad said suddenly. My hand shook, and the fork struck the ceramic plate with a sharp clink. "Daddy, I'm not being picky," I explained quickly. Dad looked at me with a complicated expression and pushed a cup of warm water toward me. Nora immediately stood, lifted the cup in both hands, and handed it to him. "Mr. Johnston, you flew for so many hours yesterday. Warm water is good for your stomach." Dad paused and accepted it. "Thank you, Nora." I stared at the cup as tears gathered quickly in my eyes. A system panel flashed in the lower corner of my vision. [Replacement affection increased. Host's living space is being compressed.] After breakfast, Mom needed to rehearse at the dance studio. Nora ran over and packed Mom's scattered ballet shoes into their bag, pulling the zipper closed carefully. "Mrs. Johnston, your shoes are beautiful. I want to learn ballet one day too." Mom smiled and stroked her hair. "You're such a good girl, Nora." The words good girl rang painfully in my ears. Mom used to call only me good. I ran back to my bedroom and locked the door. I opened the closet, crawled inside, and curled myself into the smallest shape possible. Nora's voice drifted in from outside. "Mr. Johnston, does Lily dislike me? I could give her my cloth doll." Dad answered immediately. "That's not it. Lily is stubborn. Don't worry about her." Stubborn. That was how Dad described me now. I covered my ears because I did not want to hear more. Grandma returned that afternoon. She sat on the couch, smiling as Nora massaged Dad's shoulders. "Adrian, look how thoughtful Nora is. She's nothing like your little tyrant, who only knows how to demand things and never thinks about anyone else." "Mom, Lily is still young," Dad tried to interrupt. "Young? Nora is only a year older. You should make her your goddaughter. Both of you are always working, and having an easy child in the house would make your lives simpler." I hid behind the upstairs railing and gripped the wooden banister until my fingers hurt. Make her their goddaughter. They would build a new family and welcome an obedient new child. Every word of the system's prediction was coming true. Nora looked up and met my eyes. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. My hands and feet turned cold, and I ran back to my room. I opened the storage chest and found a pair of child-safe scissors. Standing before the mirror, I grabbed the long hair Mom had always cared for so carefully. Nora's hair was short and neat. I closed my eyes and cut. Large clumps of hair fell to the floor. I stared at the ugly child in the mirror with uneven hair while tears rolled down my face. If I changed, if I stopped causing trouble, maybe they would not make me leave. Chapter 3 Monday morning was cold. I went downstairs with the uneven hair I had cut myself. The moment Mom saw me, the bag in her hand fell to the floor. "Lily! What happened to your hair?" Her voice was sharp and obviously angry. I flinched and stepped backward. "I-I cut it myself. This way washing it is faster, and Mommy doesn't have to help." I stumbled over the explanation. Dad strode over and grabbed my shoulders. His hands were so strong that my bones hurt. "Lily, what kind of tantrum are you throwing? This house has been in chaos because of you for days. Can you please behave?" I looked into Dad's angry eyes. He did not ask why I had cut my hair. He only thought I was making trouble. Nora came over and tugged Dad's sleeve. "Mr. Johnston, don't be angry. Maybe Lily thought it would be fun. I used to misbehave too, and my mother would punish me until I learned." Mom drew a deep breath and picked up her bag. "Adrian, I have a full dress rehearsal today. I don't have time for this. Take both girls to school." She did not look at me again before leaving the house. In the car, Nora sat in the front passenger seat and talked to Dad about school the whole way. I sat in the far corner of the back seat, watching the trees slide past the window. At the preschool gate, Dad unfastened his seat belt. "Lily, Daddy will pick you up tonight. Be good at school." His voice softened a little. I nodded, opened the door, and climbed out by myself. Nora rolled down the window and waved. "Goodbye, Lily." I ignored her and walked through the gate. During recess, Caleb Price from the older class ran over and snatched the blocks from my hands. Before, I would have punched him immediately. Today, I only stared at him. "Lily, you look ugly now!" Caleb pointed at my hair and laughed. "My mom said your parents are getting divorced. They don't want you anymore. The new girl at your house is the daughter they really want." The other children gathered around to watch. I sat on the plastic chair with both hands clenched, my fingernails digging into my palms. "They haven't stopped wanting me," I whispered. "Yes, they have! You're unwanted baggage!" Caleb shouted. I stood, shoved him aside, and ran into the bathroom. I hid inside a stall and bit the back of my hand so hard that I would not cry aloud. Dad did not come after school. Our housekeeper, Mrs. Dawson, picked me up instead. "Mr. Johnston was assigned an unexpected flight, and Mrs. Johnston is working late at the theater. I already collected Miss Nora. We're going home now." Only Nora was in the living room when I returned. She sat on Mom's favorite velvet couch with a sheet of paper in her hands. When she saw me, she held it out. It was a drawing. Dad and Mom stood in the picture, holding hands with a short-haired little girl between them. Another girl stood to one side with a large black X drawn over her head. "Lily, I drew this in art class today," Nora said softly. I stared at the black X as sharp pain spread through my chest. "Why did you draw that?" I stepped backward. Nora rose and approached me slowly. "Lily, don't you understand yet? Your parents are about to divorce. "Grandma said your mom hates that your dad is always flying, and your dad hates that your mom only cares about ballet. They both think you're a burden. "After they divorce, Mr. Johnston will adopt me. I'm obedient, I don't waste money, and I never make a mess." She stopped in front of me and lowered her voice. "You're going to boarding school. You'll never come home again." The countdown shrieked inside my head. All the strength left my body, and I collapsed onto the floor. Chapter 4 On Tuesday, I developed a fever. My forehead burned, and my throat was so dry that swallowing hurt. Dad was still away on a flight, and Mom had the most important full-costume rehearsal before her premiere. The housekeeper gave me fever medicine, told Nora to watch television quietly, and went to the grocery store for lunch ingredients. Only Nora and I remained in the house. I wrapped myself in a thick blanket and curled into the corner of my bed. The bedroom door opened. Nora walked inside. With no adults present, every trace of sweetness disappeared from her face. She went to my desk, opened a drawer, and began searching. "What are you taking?" I asked hoarsely. She ignored me and pulled a small red velvet box from the back. It held the custom necklace Dad and Mom had made for their wedding anniversary. The pendant combined a tiny airplane with a ballet slipper, and my name, Lily, was engraved across it. They had told me the necklace represented their love and proved that I was the person they loved most. I threw off the blanket, stepped barefoot onto the floor, and lunged for the box. "Give it back! That belongs to Mommy and Daddy!" Nora moved aside and caught my wrist. She was much stronger than I was. "Yours? It won't be yours much longer." She laughed coldly, opened the box, and removed the necklace. "It's beautiful. After Mr. and Mrs. Johnston divorce, I'll ask them to replace your name with mine." "Keep dreaming! It's mine!" I struggled desperately to pull free. Nora's eyes hardened. She raised her other hand and dug her fingernails into my arm. The sharp nails broke my skin and left a deep red mark. Pain tore a gasp from me. "Lily, crying won't help you. Your parents don't treasure you at all. You're an undisciplined little problem." She shoved me backward. I lost my balance and struck the edge of the nightstand with my knee before hitting the floor. The pain brought tears instantly. "Cry all you want. When Mrs. Johnston comes home, I'll tell her you attacked me during a tantrum and I pushed you by accident." Nora looked down at me and fastened the necklace around her own neck. "We'll see whether they believe the obedient good girl or the crazy brat." The moment she finished, rapid footsteps sounded outside the bedroom. Then the half-open door slammed against the wall. For one second, the air stopped moving. Two people stood in the doorway. Dad still wore the captain's uniform he had not had time to change. His tie hung crooked, and sweat covered his forehead. Mom wore the white swan costume from rehearsal without even a coat over it. Their eyes swept through the room. They stopped on the necklace around Nora's neck. They stopped on the bleeding nail marks across my arm. They stopped on my bruised knee and tear-covered face. They stopped on Nora's cruel expression before she could hide it. Nora's body went rigid. She immediately changed her face to frightened innocence, filled her eyes with tears, and opened her mouth.