Chapter 6 Casey froze , then shrieked , " You dare to hit me ! Riley , hand it over now ! Who cares if it's a hearing aid ? I've never had one - let me see it ! " I stepped back out of her reach while Dad came out of the kitchen carrying a roasted chicken . " Casey , dinner's ready ! " Then he turned to me , " Your sister's just curious . Let her take a look . " ] I shook my head at both of them . " No way . Mom spent a fortune on this . What if it breaks ? " " Without my hearing aid , I can't hear properly . " My refusal sent Casey into a rage . " Dad ! She goes away for a while and suddenly thinks she's too good for us ! I don't care - I want it ! I WANT IT ! " ] ] She lunged at me , grabbing and pulling . I shoved her back hard . I'd grown taller and stronger - Mom made sure I ate well and exercised daily . My body was much stronger than before . ] ] My push sent her stumbling backward onto the couch . Dad saw this and raised his hand . I turned to face him , bringing my face closer . " Go ahead . Hit me ! " He hesitated for a second , then shoved me roughly . I staggered backward and slammed into the doorframe , the pain making my face go white . ] Right at that moment , Mom walked in carrying a bag of fruit . Seeing what happened , she grabbed an apple and hurled it straight at Dad ! " You animal , Dave ! You dare to touch my daughter ! " She flew at him , scratching and hitting . Within seconds , Dad's face was covered in scratch marks , and he looked pathetic " Jenna ! Riley pushed Casey - I just shoved her a littler " ] " Bullshit ! Casey deserved to be pushed ! She had it coming !" Casey glared at Mom hatefully . " You only care about Riley . Aren't I your daughter too ? " " I've never mistreated you . Every time I've visited , I've brought you gifts Mom snapped back . I explained , " Mom , she wanted my hearing aid . When I refused , she tried to grab it - that's why I pushed her . " ] Mom was absolutely livid . " Dave ! YOU'RE the one who made her deaf in one ear , and now you're letting your other daughter play with her hearing aid ? You're not even humani " We're done here . We're leaving ! " she shouted . [ ] Mom grabbed the fruit and threw it at them . Casey suddenly rushed out just as Mom and I were heading downstairs . [ ] I knew she wouldn't let it go , so I was ready . The moment her hands were about to push me , I sidestepped . Casey couldn't stop her momentum and tumbled down the stairs ! She let out a bloodcurdling scream . Dad came running out and was horrified by what he saw . " Quick , get down there ! What are you standing around for ? We need to get her to the hospital " ] Mom and Dad scrambled to help Casey and rush her to the hospital . I stood watching with my arms crossed as Casey sobbed uncontrollably , and I couldn't help feeling satisfied . [ ] After examination , it turned out Casey had fractured her foot . While they were putting on the cast , she clung to our parents , crying so hard she had snot running down her face . [ ] " Dad , this is all Riley's fault ! Make her take care of me ! " Casey demanded . ] Dad was furious . He grabbed my arm . " You're on summer break anyway , and I have to work . You'll stay here and look after your sister . Remember , she's the princess of this family . You have to take good care of her - you're partly responsible for her fall . " || I refused immediately . " No way ! " ] Mom stepped in " Dave , are you blind ? Casey tried to push US down the stairs , but she lost her balance and fell instead . And now you want Riley to be her servant ? I swear I'll call the police ! " ] ] She looked at Casey with a mixture of hatred and disappointment , shocked at how far Casey would go to hurt us . ] ] " If Riley hadn't been quick enough to move out of the way , we'd be the ones injured right now . If you want someone to take care of her , do it yourself or hire a nurse . We'll split the medical bills , but that's it ! " With that , Mom turned and pulled me away . Dad was jumping up and down with rage behind us , and Casey was screaming at the top of her lungs . I ignored them both , turning back just long enough to stick my tongue out at her . With Mom protecting me , I didn't have to wait on her anyone . [ ] After that , Grandma ended up bringing them food every day because Casey demanded Dad's constant attention for everything . leaving him no time to cook . Poor Grandma had to deal with Casey's tantrums while delivering meals . Later , Grandma called and sighed to me over the phone : " That girl has been completely spoiled by your father . I don't know what goes through her head ! " ] I didn't know what Casey was thinking either , but I was certain Dad would regret his choices someday .