Chapter 2 As Mom tucked me in , I noticed that for the next three days , she gave Dad the cold shoulder. Dad ended up v overtime at work , and they didn't speak to each other for days . ] volunteering for Eventually , Mom was the one who softened . She cooked a special dinner with all Dad's favorites , and he finally came home on time . [ ] I was relieved because Mom had been crying in secret every day , and I hated seeing her upset . [ ] After this incident . Casey's behavior only got worse . When I was in third grade , Casey graduated from elementary school . On graduation day , Dad bought her a princess dress with layers of pink tulle that made her look like royalty . [ ] She looked at me smugly , " Riley , do you like it ? " I nodded eagerly , " I love it " ] " Well , you can have it when I outgrow it ! " she announced . ] I twisted the hem of my shirt , not wanting to say that I didn't want her hand - me - downs Casey's clothes were always baggy and worn - out , almost like she ruined them on purpose . Every piece of clothing she passed down to me had either holes or stains . ] ] But whenever Mom tried to buy me new clothes , Casey would throw a massive tantrum - even though Mom always bought her another one . Mom was already traveling for work just to earn extra money , and I couldn't bear to see her struggle so hard . So I just accepted Casey's hand - me - downs , Mom stroked my hair . " When our Riley graduates , I'll buy you a same beautiful dress too . " I broke into a smile through my tears , not noticing the flash of hatred in Casey's eyes . ] ] Still , I was happy because Casey was starting middle school . She told Dad she wanted to attend the best school in the city . Dad followed her wishes and looked into a private middle school , but the tuition was astronomical . ] That money was a huge point of contention between my parents . It was what Mom had been saving to buy a new house . [ ] " Dave , the girls are growing up . They each need their own room . Look at Riley - she's practically being pushed onto the balcony ! How can you be okay with that ? " Dad shook his head . " Casey's starting middle school . She's our little princess , and you know how good the resources are at that private school " ||| Mom stood her ground . " Casey isn't a good student to begin with . Even the best teachers won't make a difference . " ] But she couldart convince Dad . He grabbed the money , pushed past Mom , and stormed out without looking back Mom collapsed to the floor , sobbing . " Dave ! Dave , you get back here right now ! " ] The only response was the slam of the front door . Mom hugged me close , her eyes red with tears . me to go to the best school : Casey stood nearby and said , " Mom , am I not your real daughter ? Why don't you want me to Mom just stared at her without saying a word , her face pale as ash . Later , to earn more money , Mom applied for a transfer to another city . That evening when Dad came home , he proudly told Casey she'd been accepted . " Daddy pulled a lot of strings and spent a fortune to get you in there , Casey . You better study hard . " best school in the city ? " ] Casey was absolutely thrilled , and when she looked at me , her eyes shone with even more smugness than before . ] ] The next day , Dad went out to borrow money and bought Casey a complete new wardrobe from head to toe . [ ] I pinched the frayed hem of my pants , which had become nothing but threads , and approached Dad . " Dad , I need new pants too . Mine are falling apart . " But in the next second , Dad shoved me away hard ! " All you think about is spending money ! If they're torn , just patch them up . Little girls obsessing over clothes and food clearly aren't focusing on their studies . " I started crying . Casey , munching on an apple , looked over at me . " Dad , she's crying so loud the whole building can hear . Everyone's going to talk about you again . " Hearing this , Dad raised his hand and stapped me across the face , shouting , " Make another sound and I'll beat you to death ! " ] Half my face went numb . My cars were ringing , and I could see Dad's mouth moving but couldn't hear what he was saying . ] I was terrified but didn't dare cry out loud . Tears just streamed down my face like a broken faucet . ] ]