“Look, I know what it sounded like-”

“It sounded like Kylie died of starvation.”

I knelt down, staring down the barrel he had aimed at my heart. “Please, Mark.”

“You killed her,” he said coldly. “You were supposed to take care of her, and you killed her.”

“…Mark? What could I have done?” I knew that I was merely stalling until some unfortunate soul passed that could be my whistleblower. Surely someone would come.

His grip on the gun didn’t shake, but his shoulders did. “You could have fed her.”

What did he expect of me? I didn’t ask for her. “I had to feed myself.”

“She’s four! S-she was four! Oh god…she’s four. Kylie…”

“Mark, listen to me. I-I’m selfish. I wanted to live a better life. When it comes between you and a kid you didn’t ask for-”

“Our sister.”

Why did blood matter? Couldn’t he see what was really important? “I’m so close to my doctorate, Mark. I wasn’t going to give up my career for Mom’s collateral damage. If you wanted Kylie, you should have been here instead of playing judge, jury, and executioner on the battlefield.”

“Your career is worth more than a life?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Yours is, Sergeant,” I said with malice.

I felt like I had been punched, but in such a disorienting way that I could no longer tell where my body was. The crunch of Mark’s boots was closer than I expected. My head was hurting. Mark lifted me by the hair.

“I should have let you starve like you made her starve. I’m not like you, though. I can’t watch that.”

My breathing was getting difficult. “Pulling the…the trigger is…worse.”

“Good.”