Chapter 3 - The Things He Never Saw
Marcus drove for nearly ten minutes before either of them spoke.
Jasmine sat in the passenger seat with the torn gown folded inside a paper shopping bag.
Every few minutes, she looked down at it.
Marcus wanted to tell her everything would be okay.
But he knew that wasn't true.
Not yet.
"How long?" he finally asked.
Jasmine turned toward him.
"How long what?"
"How long has Denise been treating you like that?"
She stared through the windshield.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yes."
Jasmine pressed her lips together.
"Last Christmas, when everyone took pictures by the tree, she told me I wasn't dressed appropriately. She said I could take a picture after everyone else."
Marcus frowned.
"I thought you didn't want to participate."
"That's what she told you."
He remembered the evening.
Denise had said Jasmine felt tired and preferred to stay upstairs.
Marcus had accepted it without asking his daughter.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Jasmine gave a small, exhausted laugh.
"I tried."
She described the family dinner when Denise told her to change clothes three times while Brianna received compliments for wearing something nearly identical.
The birthday gathering when Denise made sure Brianna sat beside Grandma Ruby and Jasmine ended up carrying plates into the kitchen.
The afternoon Jasmine asked whether her mother's photograph could remain on the hallway table.
Denise had moved it into a storage box because it supposedly didn't match the new decorations.
Marcus remembered that too.
He had promised to put the photograph somewhere appropriate.
Then he had forgotten.
"I thought I was keeping peace in this house," Marcus said.
Jasmine turned toward him.
"You were keeping quiet."
The words hurt because they were true.
After Jasmine's mother died when Jasmine was eleven, Marcus had spent years working long hours and trying to hold their lives together.
When Denise entered his life, her confidence and ability to organize everything seemed like a blessing.
She arranged holidays.
Hosted dinners.
Managed the house.
And gradually made decisions about Jasmine without ever asking what Jasmine wanted.
Marcus had mistaken convenience for harmony.
"I'm sorry," he said.
Jasmine looked away.
"Sometimes I think Denise wishes you didn't have a daughter before you married her."
Marcus gripped the steering wheel.
He couldn't dismiss that fear.
Not after what he had witnessed.
At a small formalwear boutique downtown, they found a peach-colored gown with a softly gathered bodice and delicate sleeves.
It wasn't identical to Jasmine's original dress.
The first one had featured an off-the-shoulder neckline and layers of floating tulle.
This new gown was simpler, but its fabric caught the light beautifully.
A sales associate brought Jasmine into a fitting room.
When Jasmine emerged, Marcus stood up.
She looked lovely.
More importantly, she looked comfortable.
"Well?" he asked.
Jasmine studied herself in the mirror.
"It's beautiful."
"Then it's yours."
She checked the price tag.
"Dad, this costs more than the other one."
"Let me worry about that."
She shook her head.
"I don't want everybody saying I caused all this because I wanted something expensive."
Marcus walked closer.
"Listen to me. Wanting a beautiful dress wasn't wrong. Working hard for something wasn't wrong. You didn't cause what happened."
Jasmine looked at the reflection of the two of them.
"Then why do I feel guilty?"
Marcus struggled for an answer.
Finally, he said, "Maybe because you've been taught to apologize whenever somebody else is upset."
Jasmine's eyes filled again.
This time, however, she didn't hide them.
They bought the gown.
The boutique could complete minor alterations within a week, and Marcus arranged to collect it.
Outside, his phone began vibrating.
He glanced at the screen.
Denise had sent a message to the extended family group chat.
Attached was a photograph of Brianna's damaged designer handbag.
Her message read:
"Marcus lost control today and destroyed Brianna's property. Jasmine started an unnecessary confrontation over a dress, and now our family celebration has been ruined. I hope someone can help him see how unacceptable this behavior was."
Marcus stopped walking.
A second message appeared.
Denise had tagged Grandma Ruby.
Jasmine read the screen over his shoulder.
Her expression changed.
"She's making everyone think this was my fault."
Marcus looked at the message.
May you like
He had already failed his daughter by believing convenient explanations.
Now he had to decide whether he would allow another one to stand.
