“What the hell is that attitude, huh?”
Eric wouldn’t let up. He hurled his plate to the floor with a screech.
I stared at his face, twisted by anger.
I stepped forward and swept the rest of the dishes off the table. “If you don’t want to eat, then don’t.”
Years as a full-time homemaker had turned me, in Eric’s eyes, into a live-in maid. The slightest thing set him off. After so long under pressure, I snapped too. He never saw the labor it took to hold this family together.
This home wasn’t built by Eric alone.
His expression darkened.
Then, to my shock, he lunged at me, shoved me to the floor, pinned me with his weight, and kicked and punched me.
My head rang.
It took a long moment to realize: I was being assaulted—by my own husband.
I fought back with everything I had.
He only hit harder.
I screamed.
My nephew ran over, sobbing. “Uncle Eric, please don’t hit Auntie! It’s my fault—I’ll leave right now. I won’t ever eat eggs again!”
Years ago, my older brother stepped in to protect me from a thug, struck too hard, and was sentenced to eight years. My sister-in-law ran off after that, leaving their boy with my parents.
I’ve always felt guilty toward my brother.
So I’ve tried to be as good as I can to my nephew, to make up for it—without crossing Eric’s lines and without changing the household budget.
In the past, when Eric was upset, he’d at least wait to close the door before venting at me.
I never imagined he’d do this in front of my nephew.
Eric shoved the boy aside. “Get lost. Since when do kids meddle in a husband and wife’s business? Son of a murderer—bad seed.”
The words stopped me cold.
My nephew hit the floor. He didn’t even cry.
“Eric, you animal!”
My brother went to prison for protecting me. My nephew has suffered years of stigma and humiliation. He looks tough, but inside he’s painfully sensitive and insecure.
Now his own uncle was grinding salt into that wound.
I exploded, struggling up to slap Eric hard across the face.
He froze, then roared, “You shrew! How dare you hit me!”
In the struggle,
my son, Daniel Johnson, slammed his bowl down. “Enough already! Can we eat in peace?”
Only then did I really see it: the fraternal twins I’d risked my life to bring into the world sat calmly at the table eating, start to finish.
While their mother was being beaten by Eric, they didn’t flinch, didn’t even look over—much less step in.
My heart went ice-cold.
Eric seemed to realize he’d gone too far. He scrambled off me, guilt on his face, and reached to help me up.
I slapped his hand away.
My nephew rushed over, tears streaming, and helped me to my feet.
“Sophia…”
Eric looked like he regretted it, stepping toward me as if to speak.
I turned away, stone-faced, and went into the bedroom.
