“What have you done?” I march across our spacious entryway and into the living room, where Mom and Ray are sitting in front of the TV, watching the Kardashians like it’s just another day.

“Oh, honey, you’re home,” Mom says cheerfully, completely oblivious to my distress. She pats on the empty space on the couch next to her. “Come here. Sit down. Too bad Sam doesn’t like this show, otherwise I’d have all my children in the same room together.” She pauses and lights up. “Oh, I know. I’ll ask him what he wants to watch.”

“Sam can’t watch TV anymore where he is, Mom.” Normally, I’d let Mom stay in her delusion, but I’m exhausted. I’m so tired of pretending, so tired of being the only one who’s even trying to make things better.

“Well, of course he can’t, silly.” Mom gets up to leave the room. “Sam’s in his bedroom and there’s no TV there. That’s why I should drag him out here.”

I stand there behind the long couch Ray’s lying on, waiting for the acknowledgement I deserve.

I’ve literally lost both my dream job and the love of my life because of what he’s done. He owes me my old life, but the least he can give me now is an apology and an explanation.

“Ray.”

“You know,” he says, finally acknowledging my presence, “Mom doesn’t usually make sense. But technically, if she has a shovel and some form of transportation to the cemetery, she could dig Sam up and drag him out here.” He chuckles at his own tasteless joke.

“Ray,” I repeat in a serious tone. Anger boils hot inside me, threatening to erupt at any time.

“What is it?” He pulls his gaze away from the screen and stares at me. There’s no remorse in his eyes. It doesn’t look like I’m going to get that apology.

“What did you think you were doing?” I ask.

“I was just solving all of our problems.” Ray sounds annoyed. Obviously, he’s not happy about me I’m interrupting his enjoyment of the full, curvy asses of reality TV stars being paraded on the screen.

“By sending me away to the other side of the country?” I ask incredulously.

“You’re focusing on the wrong thing, little sister,” he says mockingly. “We need money, and I got us some money.”

“You have no shame.” I shake my head.

“What’s there to be ashamed about?” Ray asks. “I got what I wanted, and that’s all that matters.”

“How could you blackmail Dr. Kent again? Didn’t you get enough the first time?” I grab the foam in the back of the sofa, clutching at it until my knuckles turn white.

“Correction: that was all Dad, the first time. Not me. I was just driving him around and following his lead.” Ray’s answer is nonchalant. It’s like he doesn’t have even an ounce of empathy. He adds, “So you see, this is my first time, although I did benefit from the training Dad gave me.”

I glower at him, my whole body shaking with anger. I want to punch, kick, or hurt something. But that’ll only make Ray feel like he’s won.

“Come on, little sister, don’t look so outraged,” Ray says condescendingly. “You’re being selfish.”

“I’m being selfish? Are you kidding me right now?” I’m screaming, I realize. My self-control is slipping away.

“You know this money will go a long way toward covering Mom’s expenses—and some of mine. You said you couldn’t afford to get fired because you had to pay our bills, right?” he asks. “This way we don’t have to worry about that anymore, and you can still keep your job—well, maybe not that same job, but one that’s just as good. This is the perfect solution.”

“The perfect solution?” I ask. “You selfish prick. What about Dr. Kent? What about Gabe? What about me? You don’t care, because nobody else matters but you.”

“I told you I got that money for both Mom and me. You’re the selfish one here. You were just about to move out and leave us. Who do you think was going to take care of Mom when you moved out?” Ray pauses. A sneer creeps across his face. “Oh wait, you’re not moving in with him anymore, are you? That’s too bad, little sister. But I bet you can easily find a new boyfriend in Chicago.”

I can’t stand this anymore.

I grab my shoulder bag, yank if off my shoulder, and throw it down on Ray’s stomach. I don’t usually say the f-word, but I can only think of one appropriate thing to say right now. “Fuck you!”

“Whoa, hey.” Ray flinches and looks shocked for a second, but then he easily puts my bag aside on the rug on the floor.

He looks threatening when he gets up. For a few tense moments, we stand facing each other with only the couch between us.

In a calm, mocking voice, he says, “Looks like someone’s upset. What kind of language is that for a young doctor, huh? I think someone’s upset because nobody has to depend on her anymore.”

“What’s going on?” Mom asks when she runs into the living room with her doll in her arms, looking panicked. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine, Mom,” Ray says, faking a smile as he keeps his mean stare on me.

“You both look a little tense.” Mom carefully puts the Sam doll down on the couch like it’s a real live baby, then she takes my bag from the floor and puts it on the same couch. “Come on. Sit down, kids.” Mom pats both Ray and me on the shoulder. “Come on. No fighting now.”

Ray and I haven’t stopped glaring at each other. It feels like a dumb staring contest, but I need a way to channel all this anger coursing through my veins.

“Here, Jackie.” Mom suddenly appears beside me. I didn’t even realize she’d left. Something hard, cold, and wet touches my hand. She says, “Have a drink. You’ll feel better.”

It’s a glass with wet condensation on the surface. A cool, clear liquid swishes around inside as I take it from Mom’s hand. Before I think about what I’m doing, I throw the drink in Ray’s face.

“You’re dead now,” Ray says menacingly. Water glides down his face, collects on his chin, and drips down onto the couch.

Shit.

I stay in place, frozen in fear.

What was I thinking? There’s no way for me to win a physical fight with my brother.

Ray grabs my arm, climbs up over the back of the couch, then jumps down beside me. For all his laziness, he doesn’t skip his workouts, and he’s a strong man.

“You’re hurting me,” I protest.

“Well, you hurt me first,” he says as he drags me up the stairs. “Maybe next time you’ll think twice about doing something like that to me. When you come home for a visit from Chicago, you’d better show me some respect.”

Ray throws me in to my room and takes the key out of the keyhole on the inside of the door before he slams the door shut. I can hear the click of the lock as Ray turns the key from outside.

Faintly, I can also hear Mom screaming in panic from downstairs.

“See what you made me do? See what you’re doing to Mom now?” Ray taunts from outside the door.

I stay quiet, my body shivering in fear. I can’t believe he just manhandled me like that! Now that he doesn’t need my money, he thinks he can treat me any way he likes.

“Someone’s going to pick you up tomorrow morning for the airport,” he says. “You should thank me for arranging transportation so you don’t have to take the bus, but I won’t hold my breath. You’re nothing but an ungrateful brat.”