Chapter 1: The Seat at the Counter
Hannah was twelve, and she had learned where she was supposed to sit when her father was away.
For three weeks he had been on a business trip.
Every evening, her stepmother, Vanessa, placed one plate on the kitchen counter and told her to eat there.
It was never the same food as the dining table.
Tonight it was a few spoonfuls of chilled leftovers.
The house was warm and brightly lit.
A long table in the dining room was covered with a white cloth, a roasted chicken, and fresh bread still steaming.
Vanessa's two children, a girl of nine and a boy of seven, sat at it with full plates, eating happily.
Hannah sat on a stool at the nearby counter, her hair tied low, her sweater too big, her eyes red.
She kept them fixed on her plate.
Vanessa was thirty-eight, wearing a dark dress, her hair pinned without a strand out of place.
She placed the plate in front of Hannah, gave her a cold glance, and walked away.
She did not touch her.
The front door opened.
Hannah's father, Daniel, came in pulling a suitcase, in a dark suit, still tired from the road.
He noticed Hannah at the counter.
Then he saw the table, loaded with food, and the two children eating.
His pace slowed, and he set the suitcase down.
His face went still, and his voice came out low and steady.
"How long has this been happening?"
In the kitchen doorway, Hannah's little sister, Ivy, who was eight and wearing a pale nightgown, stood clutching a tablet in both hands.
Her hands were trembling.
She stepped forward, one step at a time, and held it up.
The screen was glowing, but nobody could make out what was on it.
Her voice was quiet and clear.
"It happens every time you leave, Dad."
Daniel stared down at the glowing screen, and his face slowly changed.
Vanessa turned sharply, her face full of panic, and rushed across the room.
"Hear me, honey!"
Daniel did not look at her.
His eyes stayed on the tablet in his daughter's hands.
At the long table, the two children had set down their forks.
At the counter, Hannah lifted her head.
May you like
What will Daniel do after seeing how Hannah was treated?
Comment “NEXT” for Part 2.
