A Fable
We begin in the middle of a large and serious family argument with a grown son, about violent and self-destructive behaviour that threatens the whole family, including a family business.
There is some shouting, but most of the talk is quiet and deadly serious.
The Mother and Father are in complete agreement, this behaviour cannot continue, or the consequences, for everyone, will be terrible.
At a critical moment in this argument, their petulant, self-centered, and somewhat out-of-control ten-year-old barges in shouting and demanding attention.
After several increasingly serious attempts to get the ten-year-old to shut up, the Mother turns to the Father, and as has always been their way, indicates with a well-understood eyebrow that she wants to threaten to spank the ten-year-old. This is the only thing that has ever gotten the ten-year-old to pay attention.
The Father nods as he usually does, supporting his wife, approving the threat to spank the ten-year-old, which includes, necessarily, the possibility of actually spanking the ten-year-old, because otherwise the threat would quickly be seen as empty.
Then, having gotten the nod, completely contrary to the Father's expectations, the Mother doesn't say another word to the ten-year-old, but instead hauls back and punches the ten-year-old full in the face, gravely injuring the child against the corner of the kitchen table.
Then, as the violent and self-destructive older son quickly makes his escape, the Mother then jumps on top of the injured ten-year-old and begins rifling through his pockets looking for any cash or electronic equipment she can sell later.
The Father looks on in stunned disbelief, and then begins the traumatic work of pulling his wife off of his unconcious and bleeding ten-year-old son and getting him to a hospital, hopefully in time to save his life.
Later that night, unchecked, the destructive older son burns down the family business, leaving them all destitute.
(Let's hope we can all avoid that last part.)