Page 101 of The Spotlight Effect

“I can’t believe you’re doing this again,” I speak, catching their attention.

“This doesn’t concern you, take your sister and leave,” he tells me, waving me off.

“Why? Don’t want her to know you’re whoring around?” I clench my fists together as anger boils through me. First, hecheats on my mom, causing our family to be ripped apart and now this.

“I’m ready!” Bea calls out.

“What did you just say to me?” I ignore him. I need to leave before I escalate this further than it needs to go. With the way I’m feeling right now, I want to punch him, and I wouldn’t regret it, and that could end badly for us all. I turn around and go toward Bea’s voice, finding her at the end of the stairs with her bags packed. Along with her, there are two packed boxes.

“Where do you think you’re going with this stuff?” Dad asks.

“I want to live with Mom,” Bea tells him.

“Like hell you are!” he yells at her.

“Do not yell at her.” I step between them as he steps closer to her.

“Beatrix, take your stuff to the car,” I tell her and wait for her to exit the door before moving.

“You think you’re something now? Is this your way of finally acting like a man?” My father steps closer to me, invading my personal space.

I clench my fists tighter not wanting to do something I’ll come to regret. I let out a calming breath, trying to ground myself.

“No, I’m simply picking up my sister,” I reply, turning around and picking up a box she packed. Ineedto leavenow.Bea comes back inside and grabs her second box, and I let her leave out of the door first.

“Come back in here, asshole!” my stepmother shouts.

“You better handle that,” I tell her and go to leave but then he shoves me. I trip, almost causing myself to fall but I don’t, I catch myself. “In a rush.” He’s teasing me. He wants me to do something. I won’t fall for it.

I walk out of the door. “Get back here, you bastard. You talked in the house!”

“Wait in the car.” I drop the box and turn to my dad.

“I wanna know what you think you're going to get out of all this cheating?” I ask him as he walks up to me.

“This is called business,” he states.

“It’s more like getting it how you can, I’d say.” Maybe it’s not the best response but it’s what I say.

“And what would you know?”

“It seems like I know how to keep my dick in my pants.” This is where all my planning of not starting anything goes out the window when his fist connects with my face because I don’t walk away instead, I hit him back. I should have stopped after one punch, but I didn't. I hit him over and over again, letting the anger take over. The anger from him cheating on my mom, the anger from him abusing me, from him yelling at me, yelling at Beatrix. I let it all out, beating his face bloody. Ignoring the screams surrounding me. I don’t care about any of it. None of it matters. Not even when the cops show up.

“You’re good to go.”The cop opens my holding cell, releasing me.

“Thanks,” I say, exiting the cell and taking the bag of my personal items he hands me. I walk out, seeing Charlie waiting for me.

“So you finally fought the old man,” Charlie says, slinging his arm around me.

“I did, I don’t know if it was worth it.” I shrug.

“I say yes, what are you going to do now?”

“Get the girl.”

ALEXIA

“You don’t have to go in, Alexia, if you don’t want to,” Mom tells me.

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