The sound of that cruel strike echoed off the dining room walls like a gun going off in a quiet sanctuary. Lily screamed hysterically her tiny face turning red as tears streamed down her soft skin. I sprinted across the polished floor in my royal blue sweater without thinking about anything else in the world. I grabbed Megan by her yellow shoulder and pushed her away from the high chair with frantic strength. I lifted Lily into my arms pulling her tight against my chest to shelter her from any more danger.
Laura: You actually hit my baby?!
Megan: It was barely anything! She was screaming in my ear!
My blood boiled with a primitive instinct that I had never felt before in my entire life. I looked at Megan's dismissive face as she stood there smirking without a single shred of regret or apology. She actually crossed her arms like she had done nothing wrong at all to an innocent infant. I lost all control of my calm patience in that single split second of absolute outrage.
I stepped right into Megan's personal space and raised my hand high into the air. I slapped her across the face three times in fast furious succession. The loud pops echoed through the house as my palm hit her cheeks with maximum anger. Megan stumbled backward in pure shock clutching her red face with both hands while gasping for air. Her hair fell messy over her eyes as she stared at me with pure venom and disbelief.
Megan: You crazy bitch! You slapped me over a stupid baby tantrum!
Laura: Don't you dare speak her name or look at her again!
Lily continued to sob loudly into my shoulder while I rocked her back and forth gently. My body shook with intense adrenaline and tears streamed down my own cheeks from the sheer shock of the violence. Mark came running into the dining room from the kitchen after hearing the frantic commotion and screaming. He looked at my bright red cheeks, my crying baby, and his sister holding her swollen face in the corner.
Mark: What the hell just happened in here?! Why is Lily screaming like that?!
Laura: Your sister just hit our baby across the face because she was crying!
Mark froze right in his tracks as his broad shoulders went completely stiff. His face turned pale before flushing into a deep terrifying shade of dark rage. He turned his eyes slowly toward Megan who was still trying to look like the victim in the room. The dark gray sweater Mark wore stretched tight across his chest as he took heavy enraged breaths.