Detour

Chapter 1

"I'm cutting your allowance by half."

Cutting . . . in half?

BAM!

Joy's brand new smartphone slipped off her fingers, and the screen neatly split in two as soon as it reached the ground. But, did it matter? No, nothing matters now! This is a catastrophe! A disaster!

She even forgot her freshly painted nails as she grabbed her head, crouched on the thick Persian carpet, and screamed an agonized, "No!"

Half! That was half! How would she survive with half when full could only barely sustain her? For this month, her debit card was already protesting from lack of funds . . .

"No way! You can't do that to me, daddy." She picked up her broken phone before helplessly eyeing the notification on her laptop, the one saying that the online purchase she just made was a success. An autumn-edition Botticelli traveling bag, a just released pair of Mikee hiking shoes, and the latest 2016 Aion model for an underwater camera. Express delivery within 24 hours. Just in time for tomorrow's trip.

"You know that this is my precious last sem break in college," she sobbed tearlessly. "Pia and everyone are looking forward to it."

A calm male voice robotically responded, "I'm not saying - y-you are not permitted to go . . ."

"Hello? Daddy?"

". . . look . . . talked to your mom . . ."

Joy was panicking. Phone, behave!

". . . and you're already gonna use the Ilocos villa for free - "

"Daddy? Daddy, can you hear me?"

"Yes, princess?"

With a sigh of relief, Joy sat on her fairy pink bed, her feelings complicated. She knew that she had, again, exceeded what she was allowed to spend since the term started. Her parents had warned her about it multiple times. She did attempt to lessen her expenses, but it was just so difficult when there are many cute clothes and shoes on display. They were temptation incarnate! Before she knew it, she had bought the items and the cashier was thanking her for her patronage.

"Daddy, I'm a little tight on the budget. My phone broke just now and oh, I promise I'm not lying! Please don't cut my allowance. After this, I will really, really, really work hard not to shop so much. So, please pretty please with a munchkin on top?"

"Didn't you just buy . . . ?"

"Like I said, my phone broke just a few seconds ago!"

There was a disappointed sigh on the other end of the line. " . . . save more . . . I will send you - "