I closed my eyes, remembering the hurt in Lily’s face when she saw her sewing machine sink to the bottom of the pool. “You don’t get it. She worked for that machine, Mark. She earned it. And you just let Rachel throw it away like it meant nothing. But you know what? I won’t let anyone teach her that she’s worthless, not even you.”
Mark let out a heavy sigh. “You’re being irrational, Anna. This isn’t about Lily’s sewing machine. This is about you and Rachel. This is about us and how we deal with each other. If you think this—this stunt—helps anything, you’re wrong.”
“No, Mark,” I shot back, my voice shaking but firm. “What’s wrong is letting a child be punished with destruction, letting them be humiliated for something that doesn’t even deserve it. I had to teach you both what it feels like. If you can’t understand that, then maybe we’re further apart than I thought.”