The Only Victim

That weekend, Ravenna came back with photos from the Family Day at school.

It was a truly enviable family portrait.

Aside from the annual Christmas photo that Leo insisted on taking, Mom and Dad never took pictures with me alone.

Every year at my school's Family Day, they would refuse to attend, always using work as an excuse. They were afraid of people finding out that someone as crude as me was their daughter.

I used to think it was because they didn't like my grades, so I worked hard and got straight A's. Later, I realized—it wasn't about my grades.

They just didn't like me.

Outside, the blackened exterior of the building was being repaired.

As Dad watched the workers repainting the walls, he suddenly asked, "Honey, I called Danica again today, but she still won't pick up. She hasn't even responded to Leo's messages as well. Do you think something really happened to her? Should we report it to the police?"

Mom cut him off impatiently. "Don't bring up Danica when Raven is home. You know how sensitive she is—it'll upset her.

"Danica is just hiding. She's trying to make us worry and go looking for her. Don't fall for it. Once she runs out of money, she'll come back on her own. Stop sending her living expenses, dear."

"What? I thought you were the one sending her money?" Dad looked at Mom in confusion.

"No. She never asked since last year, so I stopped giving her any. I thought you were giving it to her."

"I didn't either. So, Danica hasn't been getting living expenses for a year? Then how has she been getting by and still managed to buy my medicine?"

A serious expression crossed Dad's face as if something had just clicked in his mind.

"She became an adult last year. Maybe she found a part-time job? If she were still living in the countryside, she'd probably have started working already. There's no need to worry about her."

How had I been surviving this past year?

Besides attending school, I worked at a café in the afternoon, washed glasses at a bar at night, and delivered milk in the early morning.

That was the only way I could afford to live—and to buy Dad's medicine.

Actually, every time Mom and Dad sent me living expenses, Ravenna would get seniors to corner me in the bathroom and take the money from me.

At first, I went home crying and told my parents.

Dad would say, "Why would they rob you and not anyone else?"

And then, Mom would say, "Are you trying to scam us out of more money?"

Ravenna then would put on her usual innocent act and say, "Mom, Dad, don't scold Danica. I saw her go into a bar with someone—maybe she got drunk and someone stole her money. Just take some from mine and give it to her. I don't need much anyway."

After that, Mom and Dad never sent me money again. And I never asked.

The sound of the front door opening broke the silence—Leo was home.

He was carrying a large cake. A mango-flavored one—my favorite.

Ravenna saw it and ran over excitedly.

"Leo, you're back! I missed you so much! Thank you for getting me a cake! Even though I like strawberries better, anything from you is my favorite!"

Mom also walked over happily, but when she saw the cake, her tone turned slightly irritated. "You're her brother—how could you not know Raven's favorite flavor? Why did you buy the wrong one?"

Still taking off his shoes, Leo lifted the cake high above his head, keeping it out of Ravenna's reach. "This cake isn't for Raven. It's for Dani. Today is her birthday—October 3rd."

A brief silence filled the room.

Ravenna pouted and buried herself in Mom's arms. "But, Danica isn't even coming home. Maybe she doesn't want to celebrate with us."

Mom was just about to agree and criticize me for not coming home when Dad suddenly spoke, "October 3rd… Honey, that date sounds so familiar."

He walked over to the storage room and took out the case report, flipping to a photo of a pendant necklace.

"Look—is this it?"

Mom stared at the numbers engraved on the pendant, a trace of surprise in her eyes. She seemed to recall that that was my birthday.

Leo immediately set the cake down and said, "October 3rd, 2015—that was the day Dani came home. Did you forget? Did you mention this when the police questioned you?"

Mom and Dad remained silent.

Growing anxious, Leo dialed the police.

The moment he mentioned the date on the pendant, the officer on the other end of the line responded, "Perfect timing—we just found the engraver."