My mother threw scalding soup in my face for saying no to her stepdaughter. “Give her all your things — or get out!”

Nora finally walked downstairs, her mother barely looked up.

“Keys,” she demanded.

Nora placed a single key gently onto the kitchen table.

Violet frowned. “That’s not the car key.”

“It’s the guest room key.”

Her mother narrowed her eyes. “Don’t get clever with me.”

Nora smiled faintly.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Then she walked out.

Outside, she sat in her car continue reading …