The warm Alabama sun filtered through the lace curtains of Jessica’s bedroom, casting soft patterns on the floor.

The room smelled faintly of vanilla-scented candles and the remnants of the popcorn they had shared earlier.

Sarah and Jessica sat cross-legged on the carpet, brochures sprawled around them like fallen leaves, each one holding a different possibility for their future.

Jessica picked up a brochure and held it out. “This one’s got that huge library you loved, remember?”

Sarah took it, her fingers skimming over the thick paper.

The photo of the grand library took up half the page—floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, long wooden tables bathed in soft light.

“Yeah,” she murmured. “And their journalism program is one of the best.”

Jessica hesitated, tilting her head. “You think you can afford it?”

Sarah let out a short laugh.

“Of course. My college fund’s been set since I was a kid. My grandma made sure I wouldn’t have to worry about money.”

She reached for her phone, still smiling. She knew she had enough.

She had checked a few weeks ago, and the number had been reassuring. It felt good to have something guaranteed in life.

Her fingers flew over the banking app, but the second the screen loaded, her breath hitched.

The balance was wrong.

Her stomach twisted. That number—it wasn’t just off, it was drastically lower. Almost emptied.

Sarah’s pulse roared in her ears. This had to be a mistake. Some glitch in the system. But no, the last withdrawal—large and unmistakable—was recent.

A sick feeling curled in her gut. Only her parents had access to the account besides her.

Jessica noticed the color drain from Sarah’s face. “What’s wrong?”

Sarah swallowed hard, staring at the screen as if it might change. “The money… my college fund… It’s almost gone.”

Jessica sat up straighter. “Gone? How? You just checked it, right?”

Sarah’s hands shook as she gripped her phone. “I don’t know. I—” She stopped, her breath coming in quick, uneven bursts.

“My parents. They’re the only ones who could’ve touched it.”

Jessica’s eyes widened. “You think they took it?”

Sarah didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. The weight settling in her chest told her everything she needed to know.

She shot to her feet, grabbing her bag off the floor.

Jessica reached for her arm. “Sarah, hold on—”

“I need to go home,” Sarah said, her voice tight, her jaw clenched.

And with that, she was out the door, heart hammering, ready for a confrontation she never thought she’d have to face.

Sarah shoved open the front door so hard it rattled against the frame. The cool air of the house did nothing to soothe the fire raging inside her.

Her mother and brother sat on the couch, wedding magazines spread out on the coffee table.

The scent of fresh coffee filled the air, mixing with the distant hum of a love song playing from a speaker.

Mark, her older brother, was grinning as their mom flipped through pages, pointing out different floral arrangements.

They looked comfortable, at ease, like they didn’t have a single worry in the world.