Amanda snorted indignantly. “I’m raising her! Someone has to, since her father is never home!” She turned to me, seeking an ally in her madness. “Tell him, Jack. Tell him how difficult Lily is. Tell him how she lies to us. I did it for us, for our family.”
At that moment, I saw Lily on the bed, shrinking away, trying to make herself invisible. I walked toward Amanda until I was inches from her face. I could smell her expensive perfume, the same one I had given her for Christmas. It disgusted me.
“You’re right about one thing, Amanda,” I said. She smiled, triumphant. “I was never home. That was my crime. And I’m going to pay for it for the rest of my life. But you…” My voice broke, but I regained my strength, shouting, “You’re a monster! You starved her to death! You burned her skin because she was hungry!”
“It was just bread!” she shouted, losing her composure. “They’re just rules!”
“She’s my daughter!” I roared, and the whole hallway fell silent.