That’s when I noticed something on the front of her hoodie.
Tiny strands of chestnut-brown hair were scattered across the fabric around her neck.
My stomach dropped.
“Emily…”
She looked up.
Her eyes were already filling with tears.
“Take down the hood.”
“Mom, please.”
“Sweetheart, whatever happened, you can tell me.”
She shook her head.
I sat beside her.
“You’re not in trouble. I promise. Just tell me what happened.”
For several seconds, she stared at the carpet.
Then, with trembling hands, she slowly reached up and pushed the hood backward.
I froze.
I honestly couldn’t process what I was seeing.
The hair Emily had spent years growing was gone.
Not shortened to her shoulders.
Not cut into a bob.
Not even trimmed dramatically.
Gone.
Her thick, waist-length hair had been replaced by a tiny pixie cut.
I stared at her in disbelief.
“Oh my God…”
Emily immediately began crying.
“Who did this?”
She covered her face with both hands.
“Mom, please.”
“Emily, who cut your hair?”
She shook her head.
Then she whispered something that made my heart stop.
“Ask Grandma.”
“What?”
“Ask Grandma. I can’t tell you what really happened.”
I felt a wave of anger rush through me.
For a moment, I couldn’t think clearly.
Linda knew how much Emily loved her hair. Everyone knew.
My daughter had spent years refusing to cut it.
And now she had come home looking completely different, terrified and heartbroken.
I hugged her.
“I’m going to find out what happened,” I told her.
She didn’t answer.
Ten minutes later, I was standing outside Linda’s house.
I knocked so hard that my hand hurt.
When the door opened, I barely gave her time to react.
“What the hell did you do to my daughter?”
Linda stared at me.