The narrator, Betty, shares her story of growing up in a dysfunctional family with a mean older sister, Emily, and parents who never wanted her. They constantly belittle and humiliate her, making her feel worthless. However, Betty discovers her talent for singing and, with the help of a kind librarian, realizes her gift. After her father is arrested for embezzlement, which she had anonymously reported, her family is shunned by their community, and they move to a new town. There, Betty finds solace in singing and meets a boy named Zach, with whom she starts performing and earning money. Eventually, she gets a music scholarship to Juilliard, courtesy of a director who saw her perform at a talent show. Through her journey, Betty finds her voice, literally and figuratively, and gains confidence and self-worth.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator, Betty, is the youngest child in her family.
2. Betty's parents never wanted her and often made her feel unloved and unwelcome.
3. Betty's older sister, Emily, is mean to her and often tries to humiliate her.
4. On Betty's 10th birthday, her mom told her that she wasn't planned and wasn't wanted.
5. Betty's mom made her do all the household chores from the age of 10.
6. Betty's sister, Emily, gave her an old dress to wear to school, which Betty altered to make it more fashionable.
7. Emily got angry when she saw Betty wearing the altered dress and accused her of ruining it.
8. Betty's parents accused her of stealing Emily's jewelry, which Emily had actually planted in Betty's room.
9. Betty's dad grounded her for two weeks with no phone and no lunch money.
10. Betty's dad was arrested for embezzlement after an anonymous tip was made to the police.
11. The police investigation revealed that Betty's dad had been moving company money to an offshore account.
12. Betty's family became the talk of the town after her dad's arrest.
13. Betty's mom decided to move the family to a small town to start fresh.
14. Betty started working at an antique store in the new town.
15. Betty met a guy named Zach in the park while he was singing, and they started singing together.
16. Betty and Zach started performing in the park and making good money.
17. Zach's dad owned the antique store where Betty worked.
18. Betty participated in the annual talent show at school and performed well.
19. A woman from Juilliard offered Betty a music scholarship after watching her performance.
20. The woman was invited to watch Betty's performance by Zach's dad.