He acted like he did not hear her, and hit her anyway. Hard. Right across the face.
The sting of it brought fresh tears to her already cried-out eyes.
She wondered, as she always did, if this would be the last time, but she knew the answer.
As he pulled her up by the hair, the silver sheen of the scissors caught her eye. She grabbed them quickly and stabbed him in the chest before either of them had time to process a single thought.
She breathed a sigh of relief. After all, enough is enough.