“Don’t turn an ordinary discipline decision into some big scene, Clara.”

“Lucy was terrified sitting in the dark,” I said.

“Mom has taken care of you your whole life,” Caroline said.

“She paid for your clothes, she kept a roof over your head, and now you’re cutting off her house money over five minutes in a closet.”

“The cancellation is final,” I said.

“If you ruin Mom’s holiday and push her into money trouble, everybody in this family will know what you did,” Caroline said.

“Tell her to go look at her bank statement,” I said.