Chapter 3

Ryan's head was knocked to the side from the slap, leaving five glaring finger marks on his cheek.

Emily shrieked and rushed over to support Ryan. Then she spun around and screamed at me, "Sophie, are you insane? How could you hit him?"

Ryan covered his cheek, his eyes blazing with rage as he stared at me.

He said, "Sophie, you-"

I shook off the numbness in my hand and cut him off. "You've got a debt to pay, and this is just the start."

Word got to the dean in no time.

Emily had a bandage on her forehead, and the red handprint on Ryan's face was still fresh. They stood on either side of the dean.

Ryan's parents were the first to arrive at the dean's office.

His dad was all sharp suits, and his mom was decked out in jewelry. The moment they saw me, their lips curled in disgust.

Emily's mom followed right after, dressed head-to-toe in Chanel. She walked in, pinching her nose like she couldn't stand the air.

She said, "Sir, is this the wild girl who hit others?

"I've never even laid a finger on Emily from the day she was born. Why should she be put through this kind of humiliation at school?"

Ryan's mom chimed in, her voice sharp. "And what about Ryan? It's bad enough she stole his spot, and then she slapped him in front of everyone.

"If we don't get a proper explanation, we're not letting this go!"

I kept my head down in the corner, staying silent.

I was waiting for my dad.

The office door swung open again, and I held my breath.

My dad walked in, dressed in dusty camouflage work clothes. His sneakers were cracked and faded, looking like they'd seen better days.

As soon as he walked in, he gave the teachers a bunch of respectful bows, then rushed over to me and checked me over from head to toe.

He reached out with his work-worn hands, his gestures flying in anxious urgency. "Sophie, what happened? Are you hurt?"

My dad couldn't hear or speak.

The image of Dad dying at the construction site flashed across my mind.

My eyes stung with tears I couldn't hold back.

Back in my previous life, I gave up a free pass to college, feeling all cocky, thinking I could just start over for a year and make it big—just so I could give Dad a better life.

But not long after, he was grinding away at the construction site, just trying to earn an extra three hundred bucks.

Something fell from above and struck him down instantly.

I thought after being given a second chance at life, my heart would be cold as iron.

But when I saw Dad's familiar, humble figure, every bit of that gut-wrenching pain surged up inside me all over again.

When he saw my eyes going teary, his rough, work-worn hands clumsily patted my back, frantically signing. "It's fine. Don't be scared. I got you."

Emily's mom sized up my dad from head to toe, holding her nose like she couldn't stand his presence.

She said, "No wonder Sophie's always so rude—must be her upbringing. Doesn't he realize this is an actual school? Showing up here dressed like that—all filthy and mute—what a disgrace."

Ryan's mom piped up right away, voice dripping with contempt.

She sniffed. "Kids end up exactly like their parents. If the parents are hopeless, how could their kid turn out any better?

"All she does is lash out—never learned anything useful. No wonder the family's rotten from top to bottom."

Dad couldn't catch their nasty words, but he saw the disgust plain as day written across their faces.

He awkwardly wrung his hands, trying to hide those dusty palms behind his back like he was scared they'd mess up my clothes.

I stepped right in front of Dad, staring those two women down.

I fired back, "Shut up!

"My dad may not hear a thing, but I do. That grime all over him? He built the buildings you prance around in. So what gives you the right to look down on him?"

I turned to the dean, making sure every word hit home.

I said, "Did you ever even ask about Ryan swiping my design draft for the competition, or Emily dumping Coke all over me in front of the whole cafeteria?

"Or is it just because their families have money and status, so when they act out it's all fun and games, but when I stand up for myself, I'm suddenly the villain?"

My words sent the whole office into chaos.

Ryan's mom shrieked, her voice cutting through the noise. "You're making this up! Ryan's grades are top of the class. Why would he ever need your stuff?"

Emily's mom jumped up, her voice shrill.

She yelled, "You splashed soup all over Emily, and now you're trying to act like the victim?"

The dean banged his fist on the desk.

He said, "Enough! Quiet down, all of you."

I let the shouting fade into the background, refusing to give it another thought.

I turned and reached for Dad's big, work-worn hand, holding on tight as if I'd never let go, and then strode right out of the office without looking back.

His hand was rough and cracked, dotted with hard calluses and a few half-healed cuts.

I pressed his palm gently against my cheek, letting the warmth sink in before I started signing to him. "Dad, your hands are the cleanest hands in the whole world."

Dad froze, and then his eyes went red, too.

"Sophie, stop right there!" the dean called out from behind. "Where do you think you're going? There's still unfinished business here!"

I didn't slow down, just yanked the office door open.

"Not a good place here, anyway," I shot back.