Apologize to your stepmother, or the punishment continues.”
My father, Richard, said it loud enough for every person in the dining room to hear. His voice cracked through the house like a gunshot, and before I could even step back, his hand came across my face once, then again, then again. The room went dead silent except for the nervous laughter of people too cowardly to stop him. My aunt looked down at her plate. My uncle cleared his throat. My stepbrother, Connor, stared at me like he wanted to disappear. Linda, my stepmother, folded her arms and wore that same tight little smile she always had when my father chose her side over mine.
My cheek burned so badly I could feel my heartbeat in it, but I refused to cry. I forced my mouth into something that almost looked like a smile and said, “It’s okay.”
arrow_forward_iosRead more
Pause
00:00
00:57
01:31
