Chapter 4

Crack!

The moment Mom finished speaking, down came that cord, the one that carried every painful memory I had.

Each blow didn't split my skin open, but the pain shook me all the way down, my soul trembling along with my body.

“Apologize!”

Mom barked the word.

I didn't move.

“Oh, listen to that. Tough bones, huh.”

“Let's see how many more you can take!”

She swung the cord.

Again and again.

The pain went numb through my whole body, my arms and back losing all feeling.

Before, I would have cried and begged her to stop.

But this time.

I didn't move, didn't cry, didn't beg.

I just let her hit me.

The minutes dragged by.

Mom lost count of how many times she'd struck me.

All she knew was that her arm ached and her hand had gone numb.

Seeing that I still wouldn't give in.

She threw the cord aside.

Then she dragged me out to the balcony.

“You don't admit you're wrong today, don't even think about coming back inside to sleep.”

And so I stood on that balcony all night.

That whole night, the wind cutting straight through me.

It settled something in me for good.

Once they left for work and my brother left for school.

First I went to the pharmacy and bought some ointment to rub on the welts.

Then I went to the diner to quit.

And just as I was quietly planning my escape.

I found out that the money I'd earned working.

All of it was gone.

Meanwhile my brother had a new, expensive game console.

I asked him if he'd stolen my money.

He denied it flat out.

I was about to tell Mom and Dad.

But the second they got home from work.

My brother went running out to the balcony, crying and screaming.

“Sis, you're framing me.”

“I never took your money.”

“I saved up and bought the console myself.”

“You're jealous that Mom and Dad are good to me, and you hate them for how they treat you.”

“So you decided to frame me.”

“You want to make Mom and Dad hate me, so you can be the favorite instead!”

“Sis, you're really vicious, but I won't let you get away with it.”

“I'll prove my innocence with my life!”

I never expected him to pull a stunt like that, cutting the ground right out from under me.

Mom and Dad had just walked in and had no idea what had actually happened.

All they saw was their son about to jump off the building.

It scared the life out of them.

“Son, what are you doing?”

“Get down from there, now!”

“Mom, Dad, Sis is framing me, saying I stole the money she earned working.”

“I won't be blamed for something I didn't do.”

My brother made a show of jumping, but his hands were clamped tight around the balcony railing.

There wasn't the slightest real intention behind it.

And Mom and Dad had no time to think it through.

“Son, Mom's on your side.”

“We won't let your sister frame you!”

After Mom and Dad soothed and coaxed him, my brother's ‘meltdown’ finally started to settle.

The two of them held their son, terrified.

Not daring to leave his side for a second.

Then.

Their eyes red, they glared at me with pure venom. “You'd even frame your own brother. Do you have any conscience at all?”

“We'd be better off raising a dog than raising you.”

“Corinne Barnes, get out!”

“We don't want you anymore!”