Part 2: When she refused to sell her job-application phone to fund her sister's luxury Chicago trip, her mother smashed it directly into her face.

On Saturday morning, while I was sitting in a clean, quiet studio apartment provided by the Victim Advocacy Program, Jenna was posting photos on Instagram.

I couldn't look at them directly—I had blocked both of them on all platforms—but my friend Rachel, whom I had called from my temporary phone, was sending me screenshot updates.

Photo 1: Jenna standing on a rooftop terrace overlooking the Chicago skyline, holding a glass of orange mimosa. Caption: "Needed this escape so bad! Surrounded by positive energy only! 🥂✨ #ChicagoBrunch #Blessed #LuxuryLiving"

Photo 2: A picture of a designer handbag on a marble table at a boutique on Michigan Avenue. Caption: "Mom insisted I treat myself! She’s literally the best mother in the world! ❤️🛍️"

I looked at the photos on my temporary screen.

My mother had taken the four hundred dollars I gave her for rent—money meant to keep a roof over my head—and handed it to Jenna so she could buy a three-hundred-dollar purse in Illinois.

At 2:15 PM, my phone chimed with an email notification.

It was from the Chase Fraud Investigation Department:

Incident Report #FR-99201: Fraudulent Account Activity Review Status: Account Frozen Pending Criminal Investigation Action Taken: Emergency affidavit of non-responsibility attached. Primary user liability temporarily removed from applicant Lauren Thompson.

I filled out the affidavit on my laptop, attached the police case number provided by Deputy Miller, and clicked submit.

Ten minutes later, Chase’s automated system updated my credit profile.

The four-thousand-two-hundred-dollar delinquent balance was formally marked as Disputed - Fraudulent Creation. My credit score instantly jumped ninety-five points back into the fair range.

Then I opened my email inbox.

A message was sitting there from two days ago—a message I hadn't been able to see because my phone had been smashed into my face.

Sender: [email protected] Subject: Urgent: Final Interview Selection - Operations Coordinator Position

Dear Lauren,

We attempted to reach you by phone yesterday afternoon regarding the Operations Coordinator position at our regional center. As we have not received a response, we are sending this final email query. Please confirm if you are still available for a final panel interview on Monday at 9:00 AM.

Starting Salary: $62,000/year + Full Health Benefits.

My breath hitched in my chest.

Aegis Logistics was a major firm downtown. I had applied for the position four weeks ago, before Jenna’s fraudulent credit card had flagged my background check. Now that the credit dispute was active, my profile was clear.

I typed out a reply immediately:

Dear Hiring Committee,

Thank you for reaching out. Due to an emergency hardware failure on my primary phone line, I was temporarily unable to receive calls. I am fully available for the panel interview on Monday at 9:00 AM and look forward to speaking with the team.

Best regards, Lauren Thompson

I hit send.

At 2:45 PM, the reply came back:

Confirmation received. We look forward to seeing you Monday, Lauren.

I set the temporary phone on the kitchen counter, walked over to the small window of the advocacy apartment, and looked out at the city.