Chapter 9 - The Dust Settles
Six months passed. The silence that followed the court case wasn't just peaceful; it was healing.
Without the constant, suffocating weight of my mother’s expectations and Chloe’s toxic jabs, Sarah flourished. She finished her teaching degree and got a job at a highly-rated elementary school.
I stopped jumping every time my phone rang. I stopped feeling responsible for everyone else's emotional regulation.
We heard through the grapevine that Mom eventually had to sell her massive house. Without the leverage of wealth, her elite social circle abandoned her. She moved into a small condo with Chloe, and according to distant relatives, the two of them spent their days locked in bitter, resentful arguments, blaming each other for their ruined lives.
They were trapped in the hell of their own making.
One evening, I found a letter in our mailbox. It was from David.
May you like
Mike, I get it now. I couldn't take it anymore. I moved to Seattle. I'm going to therapy. I'm sorry I didn't stand by you when Mom hit Sarah. You were right to leave. I hope someday, when I'm a better man, we can talk.
I read the letter, folded it, and put it in a drawer. I didn't reach out. I wasn't ready to open that door yet, but for the first time, I felt a glimmer of hope that my brother might actually survive the family curse.
