I thought about my student debt that I’d been chipping away at since I was twenty-two. I thought about the old Honda I’d driven since college. I thought about the nights I’d skipped dinners out so I could pad my emergency fund. The mornings I’d checked my bank balance before I checked my messages, just to make sure I wasn’t about to be surprised by something I couldn’t control.
Cass had taken my control and lit it on fire.
“Yes,” I said quietly. “I want to press charges.”
The officer nodded like he’d expected that. “All right,” he said. “We’ll open a case. A detective will contact you. You’ll want to freeze your credit and notify the lender in writing that this is fraud.”
“I already started,” I said. “I’m meeting with a lawyer.”
“Smart,” he replied, and for the first time his tone held something like respect.
On my way back to my car, my phone buzzed.
A text from my mother.
Family dinner Sunday? Your dad’s grilling. Cass is bringing dessert.
I stared at the screen until the letters blurred.
Cass was bringing dessert. Like she hadn’t built a whole house out of my identity. Like we were just a normal family making normal plans.
My hands tightened around my keys.