I confronted Leslie. She swore it was an accident — something about “airing out the smell” and “a lawnmower mishap.” Strange how Stuart’s suit survived just fine. My dad believed her, of course. Said I should just wear slacks.
But luck was on my side. Our neighbor, Mrs. Elizaveta — old, nosy, sweet — had been filming birds from her porch. She caught everything. Leslie, placing my suit on the lawn like a ritual. Then mowing over it, calm and cold.
I sent the video to my dad. He called me minutes later. Silent. Then finally, “Tom… I’m so sorry.” It was the first time he really saw me. The truth. The years of quiet cruelty. All of it.
Leslie never saw it coming. She thought she’d buried me under her lies. But what she really did… was set everything in motion. And prom? It turned out to be unforgettable — just not for the reasons she hoped.