His hand cups the back of my head, twisting in my hair. Has he already been drinking? I wouldn’t be surprised. His breath reeks like beer. “You’re worthless. A waste of oxygen. You can’t do anything right.”
He throws me to the floor. I bite my lip to keep from crying out because that’ll only make things worse. “Useless! A lazy, stupid bitch.”
I try to crawl away, but it’s no use. He gets on one knee next to me and grabs me by the back of the neck. “You can’t even mop a fucking floor, you piece of shit. Look at it! Up close.” He holds my face close to the floor. I can still smell the cleaning solution that’s barely dried.
“Look how filthy you left it. You lazy, worthless bitch.” I grit my teeth as he pushes my face to the floor, managing to turn my head so he won’t break my nose. I can see my mom’s feet in the doorway as she stands and watches.
And that’s all she does. She stands there and watches. Doesn’t try to help me. Doesn’t tell Dale to get his hands off me. Because she’s on his side, the way she always has been.
She doesn’t even hate me, I realize as my thoughts race and my scalp screams from the way he’s pulling my hair. She doesn’t feel anything for me.
“Lick it clean.” Dale leans down until his mouth is almost touching my ear. “You can’t learn to use a mop the right way? Then use your tongue. This floor is going to be clean one way or another before the night is over.”
I’ll do a lot of things. I’ll put up with the worst humiliation and even let them starve me.
I will not lick the floor. I will not let him win this time. If I let him do this to me, he won’t stop there. He will never stop.
Which is why I grit my teeth and glare at him from the corner of my eye. “No.” My voice shakes, but not with fear. With rage. Fury.
“Excuse me? The fuck did you just say?” His eyes narrow to slits, and I know I’ve done it. I’m outnumbered. Mom doesn’t care so long as there’s somebody to buy her booze. He could kill me here and now, and she wouldn’t do anything to stop him, and that hurts more than any punch to the face I’ve ever taken.
I don’t know why she hates me so much. I didn’t do anything to deserve this. I didn’t even ask to be born, but I know I have to fight back or I’m going to die here.
“I said no.” I press my palms against the floor and try to push myself up, but he shoves me down with an elbow in the middle of my back.
“Who the fuck do you think—” It’s not completely out of his mouth when a knock on the front door cuts him off.
Nobody moves. Even I’m frozen in place, waiting to see what they’ll do. The knocking turns into a pounding, and I think about calling out for help, something I’ve never done before because I don’t think anyone could help me anyway.
Before I can make up my mind, the door flies inward with a loud crash as somebody kicks it in.
No. Not somebody. Knox. It’s Knox who kicked it in. Knox who strides into the house with a murderous look in his eyes.