"I just wanted to give this to her… to say sorry… but she said I stole all your love, and then she started hitting me..."
I felt my blood boil. My heart raced as I scrambled to my feet, rage surging through me.
"You're a liar! You hit me! You're the one who did that to yourself!" I yelled, but it was like shouting into the void.
Dad's face turned an alarming shade of red, his anger bubbling over.
"Shut up!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the cramped attic. He grabbed my shirt, yanking me down to my knees. "How did you turn into such a liar? How could you be so cruel?!"
My tears flowed freely, each a mix of frustration and pain. My whole body trembled with the weight of it all.
When Dad finally let go of me, he turned back to Ginny, his voice shifting to a soothing tone.
"Ginny, sweetie, don't be scared. If she hits you, you can hit her back. It's only fair."
His words struck me like a punch to the gut, and the attic spun as I tried to process what I was hearing.
Dad was telling her to hurt me more?
I looked up at Dad, trying to recognize him—the man who used to lift me high, spinning me around until I giggled so hard my sides hurt.