The journey of life Ch 5

“Get out, all of you! Get out!” 

I took Mom and Ashley and walked out 

without looking back. 

Mom felt guilty about Ashley. 

“I’m sorry, honey. We didn’t know she’d 

overreact. This kid is a spoiled brat.” 

Ashley gave an awkward smile. 

“We just let her get away with too much,” I 

said. 

10 

When Brittany came home, she’d pulled a 180. 

She earnestly apologized to Ashley. 

“I’m sorry. I messed up. You’re Mom and 

Dad’s real daughter. I hope you can forgive 

me.” 

Ashley quickly said, 

“It’s okay, I forgive you.” 

Mom and Dad smiled. 

folt 

I felt uneasy. 

At school, Jake was all over Ashley. 

Then Dad came home and yelled, 

“Who switched the files in the contract?!” 

We looked at each other. 

Dad said, 

“I had them dusted for fingerprints. Fess up 

now, or you’re out.” 

No one said anything. 

Dad looked disappointed. 

“Ashley, I don’t know why you’d swap our 

contract for the one from Jake’s company. 

We’ve been good to you. You let me down!” 

Ashley said, 

“Dad, it wasn’t me!” 

“How else do you explain your fingerprints? 

And I heard you’ve been getting close to Jake. 

I saw you sneaking out of the office the other 

night.” 

Ashley retorted, 

“I don’t know why my prints are on it. I didn’t 

do it. And I don’t know Jake. I was asleep in 

my room that night!” 

Dad looked annoyed. 

Brittany said, 

“Ashley, I want to believe you, but your 

fingerprints are on the contract. Aren’t you 

dating Jake? How could you do this?” 

She sounded disappointed, but her eyes said 

otherwise. 

I said, 

“How do you know it was Ashley?” 

She met my eyes and stuttered, 

“Dad saw her leave the office, and I saw her, 

too, when I went to the bathroom.” 

“Really?” 

I looked at Dad. 

“I installed hidden cameras. We can watch the 

video and find out who did it.” 

Brittany looked scared. 

Dad eyed her. 

“Turn on the cameras.” 

The video showed someone sneaking into the 

office wearing Ashley’s clothes from the other 

day. 

In the office, the person took the files and put 

another file in place. 

It was Brittany. 

く 

She fainted. 

“Dad, it’s fake! It wasn’t me!” 

She pointed at Ashley. “She framed me!”