Chapter 2: The Name on the Screen
My father had a particular way of becoming angry.
He didn't shout first.
He became very still.
I'd seen it when a contractor tried to blame me for a broken window I'd never touched. I'd seen it when a stranger shouted at my mother in a grocery store years before she died.
Now I watched that same stillness settle over his face as he read my phone.
"Alyssa," David repeated, "answer the question.""
My stepsister stood beside the couch, twisting a gold bracelet around her wrist.
"I didn't delete anything.""
I turned the phone toward her.
"It literally says your name.""
"That doesn't mean I did it!""
"Then explain it.""
Denise moved between us, her voice suddenly smooth.
"David, let's not turn a small computer problem into a family interrogation.""
He didn't look at her.
"Did you give Alyssa permission to use Maya's laptop?""
"She needed it for school.""
"That wasn't my question.""
Denise's jaw tightened.
"I told her she could use it. We're a family.""
David glanced at the laptop lying on the table among the torn receipt pieces.
"Why is it on the table like that?""
Nobody answered.
He reached down and examined the screen. A thin line ran across the lower corner, though I couldn't tell whether it was a scratch or something worse.
"Maya, did you drop this?""
"No, Dad. Denise slammed it down.""
Denise made an offended noise.
"That is an outrageous exaggeration.""
"You picked it up and threw it onto the table," I said.
"I watched you.""
Alyssa crossed her arms.
"She was yelling at me first.""
"Because you were using my computer without asking!""
David raised one hand.
"Everybody stop.""
The room went quiet.
He turned back to my phone.
"Show me the activity history.""
I tapped the cloud backup screen and opened the list of recent actions. Several documents appeared beneath the deleted folder, each with a timestamp.
One had been accessed at 2:13 p.m.
Another at 2:16.
The folder had been deleted at 2:19.
I looked at the clock on the wall.
I'd arrived home shortly before two.
"Alyssa," I said slowly, "you were using my laptop before I walked in.""
She rolled her eyes.
"Mom told me to.""
"Did Mom tell you to delete my schoolwork?""
"No!""
"Then why is your account attached to the activity?""
"Maybe the cloud is wrong.""
David took the phone from me carefully, making sure not to close the screen.
"Cloud services don't usually attach a user's name to an action for no reason.""
Denise let out a sharp laugh.
"Since when are you an expert in computers?""
"Since I've had to manage computers at work for twenty years.""
Her expression flickered.
It was small, but I noticed it.
So did he.
David returned the phone to me.
"Can the files be recovered?""
"I think so," I said.
"There's a recovery section.""
"Then let's look.""
Denise stepped forward.
"David, you just walked in. You don't even know what's going on.""
"That's why I'm asking questions.""
"This is between the girls.""
"No," he said.
"It's between everybody who touched that computer.""
Alyssa sank onto the couch and picked at a loose thread on her sleeve.
"I only wanted to borrow it.""
"Borrowing doesn't explain deleting files," I said.
She looked up sharply.
"Maybe your files weren't even important.""
My throat tightened.
"Those files took months to finish.""
"Well, maybe you should have backed them up.""
I held up my phone.
"They were backed up. That's how I know you deleted them.""
For the first time, Alyssa had no immediate comeback.
David moved a few pieces of torn receipt away from the laptop.
"Let's recover the folder first. Then we'll deal with the receipt and the computer.""
Denise's hand shot out and caught his wrist.
"Don't touch anything.""
He looked down at her hand.
Then he looked at her face.
"Why?""
She released him.
"I mean, if the laptop is damaged, we shouldn't make it worse.""
"The screen is still working.""
"Then leave it alone until we can get someone to check it.""
"We can check whether the files are recoverable without opening the machine.""
Denise took a step backward.
I noticed that she wasn't looking at the laptop anymore.
She was watching my phone.
I opened the cloud account's recovery menu. A loading circle appeared, turning slowly over the list of deleted files.
Alyssa stood.
"I'm going upstairs.""
"Sit down," David said.
She froze.
"Excuse me?""
"You heard me. We're not finished.""
"This is ridiculous.""
"Then answering a few questions shouldn't be difficult.""
Alyssa dropped back onto the couch so hard that the cushions bounced.
I tapped the recovery menu again.
A list appeared.
Some files could be restored. Others were marked as permanently deleted from the visible recovery area.
My stomach twisted.
I searched for my scholarship folder first.
It wasn't there.
Neither was my college essay.
"Dad," I whispered, "some of them are gone.""
He leaned closer.
"Keep looking.""
I scrolled farther down.
A folder appeared with a name I didn't recognize.
*PRIVATE — REVIEW BEFORE SIGNING.*
I frowned.
"That's strange.""
Denise made a small sound behind me.
It was almost a gasp.
I turned around.
"What's wrong?""
"Nothing.""
"Then why did you react like that?""
"I didn't react.""
David stood beside the coffee table, his gaze fixed on his wife.
"Denise, do you know what that folder is?""
She shook her head too quickly.
"No.""
I tapped it.
The folder contained one document and several attachments. The document itself was marked as deleted, but its activity history remained accessible.
I opened the details.
A line of text appeared beneath the file name.
*LAST ACCESSED BY: ALYSSA CARTER.*
Alyssa stared at the screen.
Then she looked at her mother.
Their eyes met for less than a second.
But in that brief exchange, something passed between them that made my skin prickle.
David noticed it, too.
"What was that?"" he asked.
"Nothing," Alyssa replied.
"You both just looked at each other.""
"Because you're acting like we're criminals!""
David folded his arms.
"I'm acting like a father who came home to find his daughter's property damaged and her school files deleted.""
Denise reached for the phone again.
"Maya, give me that. You're upsetting everyone over something that can be fixed.""
I pulled it against my chest.
"You tore up my receipt. You told Alyssa she could take my computer. Now you want my phone.""
"I am trying to keep this family from falling apart over a laptop.""
"A laptop you didn't buy.""
Her face flushed.
David stepped between us.
"Denise, don't reach for her things again.""
She stared at him as though he'd slapped her.
Then her expression changed into something wounded and theatrical.
"After everything I've done for this family, you're taking her side?""
"I'm taking the side of finding out what happened.""
"And what if she misunderstood everything?""
"Then the records will show that.""
The recovery screen refreshed.
A new notification appeared.
*ADDITIONAL DELETED ITEM FOUND.*
I tapped it.
The title was longer than the others.
*DAD — PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU SIGN ANYTHING.*
My father stopped moving.
For several seconds, he stared at those words without speaking.
Then he slowly lifted his head and looked directly at Denise.
"What were you trying to hide?""
Denise's face went pale.
Alyssa's hand flew to her mouth.
And just as my father reached for the phone, another notification appeared beneath the document title.
*RECOVERY AVAILABLE — 00:14:59 REMAINING.*
I looked at the countdown.
Then I looked at my father.
"Dad," I whispered, "whatever this is, we only have fifteen minutes.""
He held out his hand.
"Restore it.""
I pressed the button.
May you like
The progress bar began to move.
And Denise suddenly lunged for the phone.
