He raised his hand and brought it down hard—no hesitation.
My cheek stung. But the pain in my chest—someplace I thought had gone numb a long time ago—hurt even more.
"Dad, I'm okay..." Krystal's eyes were red. She leaned weakly against Nelson. "Margaret was probably just... just upset. It's been so long since she's seen us."
What a classic move—using nice-sounding words to make me look even worse.
"She pushed you, and you're still defending her?" Nelson looked at her with pity, then turned to me with pure rage. "You ungrateful brat! I should never have let you live. What a mistake."
I touched my cheek. And then I laughed.
Before anyone could react, I stepped forward, grabbed Krystal, pulled her out, and shoved her hard.
This time, she really hit the ground. The cry she let out was r
