“What other explanation could there be?”
She shouted while I was in too much pain to speak.
Not that speaking would have helped.
She had never believed me.
In her eyes, there was only Jacob.
Seeing my silence, she seemed slightly satisfied.
“You’ve committed such a serious mistake today. You’ll be punished.”
“Go hand over all your pocket money.”
“Otherwise, when your dad comes home, he’ll beat you within an inch of your life!”
The pocket money she meant was what I had secretly saved to one day escape this house.
Of course, I could never give it all away.
I had hidden it in several different places long ago.
Hesitating, I finally pulled out ten dollars from under my pillow and handed it over.
She snatched it without a glance and shoved it into her pocket.
“Just this? You think I’m a fool?”
“Don’t forget, you earned quite a bit helping out at your Aunt Lisa’s place over the summer!”
Jacob piped up eagerly:
“Mom! She must still be hiding more! Yesterday I saw her digging around under the bed!”
Mom stormed into my room in a rage, turning it completely upside down.
Sure enough, she found two twenty-dollar bills under the bed.
She slammed me against the stove, letting the hot metal burn half my face.