The Hidden Folder
My phone buzzed. Mom: “Please don’t fight your father. Heather is stressed. Just come and be supportive.”
Just come. Just smile. Just vanish.
A bitter laugh slipped out. “They want me invisible so Heather’s spotlight stays perfect.”
Kimberly’s jaw tightened. “What now?”
I crossed to my desk, unlocked the bottom drawer, and pulled out a worn folder.
“Now,” I said, laying it open, “they’ll see the truth.”
Out slid proof: Dean’s List, every term. Research awards. The letter naming me valedictorian. The job offer from Meridian Tech.
Kimberly gasped. “This is incredible.”
I exhaled slowly, the weight lifting just a little. “I kept it hidden. Let them believe I was barely scraping by. That ends tonight.”
Her eyes met mine. “You’re serious.”
“For the first time all day,” I said steadily, “I am.”
