Chapter 7 - The Crumbling Facade
My mother was arrested the next day for violating the protective order. With both of them in jail, the truth began to bleed out into our extended family.
The police reports became public record. The court transcripts from the restraining order hearing circulated. The very family members who had blasted me on Facebook suddenly realized they had backed a pair of abusive, lying monsters.
My inbox was flooded again, this time with apologies.
“I’m so sorry, Maya. I didn’t know.” “We had no idea it was this bad.”
I didn't answer them, either. Where were they when I was growing up? Where were they when I was working two jobs to keep my parents afloat? They chose the easy lie over the hard truth. I cut them all off. I blocked their numbers, deleted my social media, and focused entirely on Leo and my career.
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Without the crushing weight of my parents' financial demands, I was thriving. My freelance business exploded. I landed three major contracts in a month, doubling my income.
Meanwhile, my parents' world was collapsing. They couldn't afford a proper lawyer, so they were stuck with public defenders. The loan sharks were circling their abandoned home, and the bank initiated foreclosure proceedings since the mortgage had gone unpaid for three months.
