Brittany's POV

Sure, it's true—Mom never laid a finger on me, not even a slap. It wasn’t necessary. I followed the rules. I behaved. But everything changed. When I did something wrong, she wouldn’t hit me. Instead, she'd scream, her voice sharp with disappointment. And later, behind closed doors, she'd tell Thorne she couldn’t handle me, that I was spiraling, and it was too much for her.

What I can’t wrap my head around is how they act so casual now, ...