Chapter 1: The Empty Chair
My stepmother ripped my missing mother's reserved card at my graduation and took her seat.
But as I stepped onstage, the back doors swung open.
Vanessa stood in the front row with an icy smile.
She tore the name card marked “MOM — ANGELA” off the chair and tossed it on the floor.
“She’s not coming,” she sneered, sitting down in my mother's reserved place.
I went still.
My eyes stung as I knelt down to pick up the crumpled paper.
“That was my mother’s seat,” I whispered, clutching it tight.
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“I’m the one here now,” she replied.
My father glanced away, saying nothing to defend me.
“Valedictorian, Maya Brooks,” the principal announced over the microphone.
The audience applauded.
I swallowed my tears and headed toward the stage, holding the torn card.
Vanessa beamed proudly, pretending to be the mother who raised me.
Then, the back doors of the hall burst open.
Every head turned.
Standing in the doorway was my mother, breathless and staring right at me.
“Mom...?” I choked out.
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Will Maya’s father finally speak when Angela appears?
Comment “NEXT” for Part 2.
