My dad didn't rape me, not like Muse's, but he did beat and bloody me senseless, knock me around. Scream. Shout. Belittle me. Make me feel less than human. He's still got that special little talent although I'll be damned if I let him lay a finger on me ever again. And my mom? Well, she just sat back and watched, played the devil's advocate and justified the man's erratic behavior. All that, though, well I could've dealt with that. It was only when he started hitting Harper, too, that I finally broke.
