I was sure to sound all serious-like and truthful. I watched Roger look to father for direction. Dad's face turned red, then sweat broke out on his head. He nodded in my direction and Roger hit me with a roundhouse punch that caused my nose to just gush blood everywhere. In response, I just laughed. It was the funniest thing that I could think of. Rather than admit that I'd caught them in a lie, or engage me in conversation, Roger punched me. I realized then that my dad ran a really chicken-s**t operation, that he might be good at reading people but not at manipulating them.
"God, you're as much of a disappointment as a cult leader as you were a husband," I said, then laughed hysterically. In my defense I was pretty sure I'd been overdosed on something at least once by then and emotional
