"Ginny!" Mom screamed, rushing to her side, arms wrapping around her like she was the one in danger. "Oh, sweetie, don't be scared. I'm here, I'm here..."
And then, she turned to me, her eyes full of fury.
She didn't hesitate. Her hand flew across my face before I even saw it coming.
The slap sent me crashing to the ground, the sting so sharp it took my breath away.
"Oh, dear lord! How could you do this, Betty?" Mom's voice was thick with disbelief. She couldn't fathom that her own daughter would do something so cruel.
"What were you thinking?" Her voice cracked with anger and a deep, cutting disappointment that shattered me more than the slap.
I looked up at her, wanting to explain and scream the truth. But the words stuck in my throat, tangled in the pain and humiliation.
Behind her, Ginny was smirking.
She always wore that smug, victorious smile when she knew she had won.
And maybe she had...
Dad and Charlie appeared in the doorway, their faces taut with concern.
"Ginny, sweetie, what happened?" Dad asked, his voice softening as he crouched down to her level.
Ginny, still sniffling, pulled a piece of candy from her pocket, her eyes glistening with fake tears.