Unmasking Their Lies

chools I applied to, all of them out of state. My top choice, a prestigious art institute in New York,

s Liam' s college applications. He had his heart set on the state university' s business program

his letters of recommendation. He had procrastinated, of course, and the final applic

tune. I was in the kitchen, washing dishes, when I saw her pick up the large manila envelope containing Liam' s en

he envelope

d flying to her mouth. "Oh

ope, but the damage was done. The papers inside

down the stairs, dr

that? What

in my mother' s hands

no! Mom, wha

ed, her eyes already filling with tears. "I

m the living room. "Wh

it! My whole application is rui

He peered inside. "It' s all soaked, son.

was an unspoken, automatic reflex. Something had

time, I w

manufactured sobs, was

' t you move your things? You know how

talent and the actual ambition, that the important documents belonged to me. The cruel irony was t

d entitlement, latched on

ve your junk all over the place! You did this o

voice dripping

ant to drag me down with you. You' re going to end up at community coll

oked at me, his expression full of disappointment. "Ava,

ched the accusation in their eyes. I

quiet, but it cut through th

not my app

l stare

alking about?"

directl

one for the state university. The dead

ipped it open. He pulled out the waterlogged papers, his essay now an abstract watercolor of run

ed. "No, this can

ole body trembling. The future he had taken for granted had j

ead, trying to process this catastrophic miscalculation. Her tea

ide, her voice suddenly

ween me and my father. "A simple, terrible accident! It

ed her favored child' s future. But the truth of it was laid bare for all of us to

am' s arrogant smirk dissolve into misery. I watched El

h. Just a quiet, final confirmatio

ed the shoebox from my closet. I looked at the

their offer of admission. I paid my

father trying to console a sobbing Liam. Th

king my own fate. And it w