It felt so good to be protected.
Mom saw that Dad was furious. She leaned against Dad's chest like a delicate willow in the wind and pointed at Sienna with a saccharine voice. "Quentin, you've finally stood up for our daughter."
"This big fatty slapped our daughter to the ground. It broke my heart."
I struggled to suppress the laughter bubbling up.
My mother was both fierce and manipulative, and I loved it.
My father seemed to fall for her act entirely. He tenderly wiped away the nonexistent tears from her eyes, then turned to the men behind him and shouted, "I've got my eye on this patch of wasteland.
"I don't want to see a single sweet potato sprout here tomorrow.
"Level this whole damn place by tomorrow!"
One of the men nodded and turned to find the village chief.
Sienna was dumbfounded.
"You... what are you all trying to do?"
Sienna finally realized her grand scheme had been exposed, and panic set in.
Dad held my hand and gave Sienna a cold look.
"I'm going to repay my daughter for the suffering she's endured for seventeen years, tenfold!"
