How long showers lasted. What temperature the thermostat stayed at.
If Mom bought me clothes without asking him, he called it “wasting household money.”
If I left a plate in the sink, I was lazy.
If Brandon left three, he was tired.
Kyle took money from my room twice, and Richard told me, “Maybe don’t leave cash lying around.”
It had been inside my desk.
Mom rarely defended me.
That was the part I resented most.
She would wait until Richard left the room and whisper, “I’m sorry.”
For years, I hated hearing those words.
Sorry never stopped him.
Sorry never made Brandon stop calling me “charity case.”
Sorry never stopped Kyle from shoving past me in the hallway because “girls should move.”
When I turned 16 and got a job, Richard demanded I contribute to groceries.
I did.
Then he complained I wasn’t home enough to help clean.
Mom always said, “Just get through school. Then you can leave.”
