Chapter 7 - The First Time Spencer Grabbed Me, I Called It Stress
Nine months before the yacht, Spencer and I were arguing in my apartment.
He wanted us to invest jointly in:
a waterfront restaurant concept.
I said:
“No.”
Not because bad idea.
Because I did not want another:
financial connection.
He became angry.
“You trust your father with millions.”
“He’s not asking me to invest personally.”
“You invest in his company every day.”
“That’s my job.”
“You see?”
“What?”
“He owns your life.”
I stood.
“I’m done with this conversation.”
Spencer grabbed:
my upper arm.
Firm.
“Don’t walk away.”
I looked at his hand.
He released me instantly.
“I’m sorry.”
Then:
“I’m just frustrated.”
I said:
“Do not grab me.”
“I know.”
He cried later.
Not performatively, I think.
He genuinely believed:
he had crossed a line.
For several months:
nothing physical.
That made it easy to categorize the incident as:
one bad moment.
Ava did not know.
Peyton did not know.
Dad definitely did not know.
I was not hiding abuse.
That was how I described it.
I was protecting:
privacy.
Sometimes those are different.
May you like
Sometimes privacy becomes the room abuse needs.
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