Chapter 1

I signed the last paper for the Manhattan condo, the city noise a dull hum outside the lawyer's office.

This mortgage was huge, a multi-million dollar weight, but it was for Emily.

My daughter, Emily, deserved the best, and Parkside Academy was the best.

I' m Sarah Thompson, a software developer, and I make good money, enough to be the primary breadwinner.

This condo, this school, it was all for her future.

Kevin, my husband, was supposed to handle Emily' s first few days at Parkside.

I had a vital business trip, one I couldn' t miss, a project that would secure us even more.

He came from a less privileged background, worked a junior job I helped him get.

I trusted him with Emily, with this simple task.

"She'll be fine, Sarah, stop worrying," he' d said, a little too quickly.

I was in a sterile conference room in Chicago, mid-presentation, when my phone buzzed with an unknown New York number.

I ignored it.

It buzzed again.

And again.

A knot tightened in my stomach.

I excused myself, stepping into the hallway.

"Hello?"

"Is this Mrs. Sarah Thompson, mother of Emily Thompson?" a tired voice asked.

"Yes, this is she. Is everything okay with Parkside?"

A pause.

"Ma'am, this is Northwood Public School in the South Bronx."

The South Bronx? My blood ran cold.

"We have an Emily Thompson enrolled here, and there are some unpaid fees we need to discuss. And some behavioral issues."

"Unpaid fees? Behavioral issues? There must be a mistake," I said, my voice shaking slightly. "My Emily, Emily Thompson, is enrolled at Parkside Academy. I have the acceptance letter, the payment receipts."

"Well, ma'am, there's an Emily Thompson here, and the records show you as the mother."

My mind raced. This had to be a bizarre administrative error.

"I'll clear this up," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm on a business trip, but I'll be back tomorrow."

"Please do, Mrs. Thompson. These fees are overdue."

I hung up, the polished hallway suddenly feeling like it was closing in on me.

A struggling public school. Unpaid fees. It made no sense.

Kevin had confirmed her enrollment at Parkside, sent me pictures of the uniform.

This had to be a mistake.