Chapter 3After My Daughter Died, I Regretted Everything

The next morning, Penny left early for school, backpack already on.

She was in 8th grade, with standardized tests coming up, so she had to go in early for study hall every morning. My husband and I were too busy with work to make her breakfast. We just loaded up her school lunch account and let her eat all three meals there.

Ethan, on the other hand, had a more flexible schedule. I'd take him out for breakfast on my way to work, then drop him off at his school. It fit perfectly into my routine.

But maybe because I went to bed so late last night, I woke up late this morning.

I slapped the alarm off on my phone, forcing myself to sit up. My head was pounding. I looked into the living room; Ethan was already dressed and sitting there, reviewing his notes.

"Honey, Mommy's not feeling too well today. Here's some money, can you take a cab to school and grab breakfast on the way?"

"Did you have fun with your friends yesterday? You got back really late. Try to be home earlier next time, okay? Don't make Mommy worry."

Seeing Ethan nod obediently, I quickly grabbed his backpack for him. Then I reached for my purse by the door, fumbling inside for some cash.

As my fingers touched the inner pocket where I kept small bills, I froze.

It was empty. Completely empty.

I refused to believe it. I pulled the purse off the hook, turning it inside out, searching frantically. "That can't be right," I muttered. "I know I put the change from grocery shopping in here…"

"Ethan, did you touch Mommy's purse?"

"N-no. No, I didn't."

His eyes flickered for a second, but I didn't pay much attention. Then he added, "I saw Penny looking through stuff yesterday when I got home. Mom, maybe… maybe she took it?"

My movements stopped abruptly. My brow furrowed, a seed of suspicion taking root.

My husband was out of town. It was just me, Ethan, and Penny in the house. I knew Ethan; he would never take money without asking. That left only one possibility.

I thought Penny was just slow, maybe a bit simple. I never imagined she'd start stealing from us.

Stealing pennies today, gold bars tomorrow. This wasn't about intelligence anymore; this was about character. Utterly rotten. What would she become?

My expression turned icy. But Ethan was going to be late, so I pushed it aside for the moment. I pulled a fresh hundred-dollar bill from my wallet, pressed it into his hand, and put him in a cab.

All day long, I rehearsed what I would say, how I would handle this. How could I teach Penny a lesson, make her understand the gravity of her mistake?

My daughter being slow was embarrassing enough. I absolutely would not allow her to become a degenerate, a leech on society.

When Penny got home from school, I told Ethan to go to his room and study. I sat on the sofa, waiting for her, forcing myself to stay calm.

She came in wearing the same dirty school uniform as yesterday. I frowned, annoyed. "Where have you been playing? You're covered in mud again."

"N-nowhere. We… we had P.E. today."

She took off her jacket, stammering out an explanation.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my anger in check. I pointed to the sofa. "Come here. Mom needs to ask you something."

Penny looked confused but sat down beside me obediently. Her pretty face stared blankly at me.

I kept my voice gentle. "Tell Mommy the truth. Did you take the money from my purse?"

Penny immediately shook her head like crazy, waving her hands frantically. "No! I… I didn't take it!"

I knew she'd deny it. "But Ethan saw you going through my purse yesterday," I said patiently. "Mommy isn't going to punish you. If you can admit your mistake, that means you're an honest girl, and Mommy will forgive you."

"I didn't… didn't take your money!"

Suddenly, she bristled like a cornered hedgehog. "Wh-what proof do you have? I just didn't!"

She abruptly turned and started shouting towards Ethan's room, looking like she wanted to charge in there and attack him. "When? When did you see me take money!"

Ethan, who had just peeked his head out, jumped back startled by her outburst, retreating like a quail.

"What are you yelling about? Do you want the neighbors to come over and see what a spectacle you're making?"

"What did your brother say that was wrong? I'll find out soon enough if you stole it or not!"

Seeing Penny still defiant, my dislike for her intensified, boiling over until I finally lost all patience. I snatched her backpack and dumped everything out onto the floor.

A few crumpled dollar bills fluttered down, silently confirming my suspicions.

I laughed coldly. "You didn't take it? Then where did this money come from?"

"I thought maybe you just made a mistake, went down the wrong path for a moment. I wanted to give you a chance to confess. But you just keep lying!"

"This isn't about being slow anymore! This is about your morals! You're morally bankrupt! You're a shameless little thief! You're going to end up as trash, a burden on society!"

Penny stood frozen, tears streaming down her face.

"You dare to cry? You steal from your own family, and now you have the nerve to cry?"

I couldn't stand seeing her like this. Her stutter already made communication difficult, and now tears made it impossible.

Rage surged through me. I grabbed her arm hard, shaking her. "What is there to cry about? I should never have given birth to you! Why don't you just drop dead!"