He doesn’t listen and tightens his hold, digging his fingers into my arm so hard it’ll bruise.
“Don’t say another word,” he hisses, dragging me down the stairs.
Mom hums to herself while clearing the table. When she sees me, she shrieks. A jug of milk slips from her hands and smashes.
“Your hair!” she shrieks in despair. “What did you do?”
“Do you think this is funny, Erin?” Dad yells. “This is behavior I’d have expected from your sister, not from you. Is this how you want to represent yourself at the Sunnycrest event this week? Are you trying to embarrass me?”
He doesn’t give time for me to respond. Instead, he pulls me through the house and hauls me into his study, leaving Mom gaping open-mouthed after us.
“Sit down!” he roars, throwing me into the chair opposite his desk.
“Magnus…” Mom hovers in the doorway. “I have my stylist on speed dial. She can be here within the hour.”
“No!” he yells. “Not today, Jocelyn.” He points at me menacingly. “This is between me and her. Now, get out. Now!”
Mom bows her head. “Yes, Magnus.”
He storms to his locked cabinet in the corner. It’s the first time I’ve seen inside it as he keeps the key on him permanently. He rifles through its contents, hurling random pill bottles acrossthe room while muttering to himself. I can’t catch everything he says, but the words ‘ungrateful’ and ‘spoiled’ are hard to miss.
“We’re increasing your medication.” He slams three bottles in front of me. “Take one from each of these three times a day.”
He lines up the pills. One yellow. One red. One blue. I’m already taking antidepressants he prescribed, and I’ve only just started feeling normal on them. I don’t want to turn into a drugged zombie like the rest of his patients.
“I don’t want?—”
He grabs my face, squeezing my cheeks hard.
“Dad!” I thrash around, turning my head to get away.
He uses one hand to grab the back of my head, while forcing my mouth open with the other. He shoves the pills onto my tongue, almost making me choke.
“Swallow!” he commands, spraying me with spit. “Now!”
He snaps my jaw shut. I fight the urge to gag as the oblong pills slide down my throat.
“Open your mouth,” he barks.
Trembling, I do as he asks. He swirls his fingers around my inner cheeks and raises my tongue to inspect underneath.
“I can’t be too careful,” he murmurs.
“I’ll be late for s-school,” I stammer, hoping this will get me back into his good graces. After all, education is what he values above all else. “I need to get ready.”
“School?” He guffaws. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re not leaving the house until further notice.”
Anger bubbles inside me. I’ve never lashed out at him before, partially because that was Sarah’s area of expertise, and I wanted to avoid the consequences. It was easier to sneak into Sarah’s room when he locked her up, or bring her food when he starved her as punishment for skipping dinner, rather than address the problem. Yet, with a grounding stretching ahead of me like a life sentence, I can’t stop myself.
“I’m your daughter, not a patient,” I say.
“Would you prefer an extended stay at Sunnycrest?” he asks. “One more word from you, and I’ll have you admitted. I made mistakes with Sarah, but I won’t make the same mistakes with you, Erin. I don’t know what you were hoping to achieve with your little act of rebellion, but you will regret it. Until you earn my trust again, you will do as I say.”
“But—”
He strikes me across the face, stunning me into silence. It’s the first time he’s hit me, and I cradle my burning cheek, cowering like a small child. All of my earlier boldness has evaporated.
“Go to your room. Do not come out until I return. Your mother will book you an appointment tomorrow to fix this mess before tomorrow night.” He wrinkles his nose, plucking a strand of my hacked hair, then letting it drop around my face. “You will still be attending the function. I need to keep you where I can see you. Is that clear?”
