Page 37 of Movers and Shakers

Dad ordered Mom to sit and be quiet. Then he tried to turn the same energy to Ruth. But she only glared at him and said, “Fuck you.”

“You will do as I say!” Dad snapped in an ear-splitting yell, one designed to strike fear into anyone it was directed at.

I became numb to it long ago, but I wasn’t sure when Ruth did the same.

Her jaw only tightened. “Why should I? You’re more of a failure than I am. I believe you were a director at thirty, Dad. You didn’t become a CEO until Grandpa died and handed you the company. You didn’t do shit to get where you are. Everything was handed to you.”

That was an absolutely badass line and I almost wanted to clap for her because she wasexactlyright.

“I will not tolerate this from you!”

Impossibly, his anger was escalating and now his fists were clenched. These weren’t good signs.

“What are you going to do?” Ruth asked. “You gonna scream? Slam things around? I’m not scared of you.”

“And if you touch her,” I added, “you’ll have me to answer to.”

Dad wasn’t a dumb man. He knew he couldn’t go against us both. So, he tried to hurt us in different ways.

“You two are the biggest disappointments in this family.”

It wasn’t news, so it rolled off my back like water.

“Fuck this,” she snapped. “I’m leaving.”

“Excuse me?” he bellowed. “Ruth Murray, you do not get to leave—‍”

“I don’t know if you know this”—she spun around to look at him again—“but I’m a grown-ass woman. I don’t listen to people like you.”

I only had a second to feel proud of my sisterfinallythrowing her snark at our parents before she ran out the door. I saw her face drop as she did and I knew her bravery was waning.

I turned my glare at Dad. Ruth had given her all to make him proud. She’d studied. She’d worked her ass off. She was better than anything he could be.

And none of it mattered to him.

I couldn’t even feel joy that Ruth had finally seen Dad for what he was. All I could feel was rage.

“You’re an asshole,” I said.

“I speak the truth.”

“That Ruth isn’t good enough because she’s a girl? She’s better than all of us.” I looked to Tom, hopeful for backup, but his lips were pursed.

I don’t know why I even had hope for him.

Maybe Ruth was the only one who would see this fucked-up family for what it was. I should cut my losses and be grateful that she even realized what was wrong.

See?that voice said.She was always going to see it.

“No, she isn’t.” Dad’s voice pulled me back into the present moment. “She needs to learn her place.” He went for the door.

“Dad, don’t—‍” Tom began, but I stood in his way.

“You leave her out of it,” I said. “She’s had enough of you.”

“I’m her father.”

“I wish you weren’t.”

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