o the lobby, her face a mask of anguish. My father followed, looking grave and conc

cried, rushing to my side and

uch as if from a hot iron.

sorrow. "See?" she said to Mrs. Gable, who was now joined by the

ng but loud. "They're all in on it. The

hysterical. We got some difficult news about

c. It painted me as the unstable one, them as

I looked at him, the knowledge dawning in my eyes. Th

h," he hissed, taki

mother warned, bu

g backward, and tripped over a decorative planter. I went down hard. Before

he boomed. "I'm c

ey exchanged frantic looks. But it was too late. Within minutes, two

in my chest. This was it. This

n the scene: me on the floor, my wild-eyed brother being held back

d. "My daughter, Chloe, is having a severe mental hea

r, my voice raw. "He attacked me! They

er officer said, helping me to my fe

urgency. I told them about the forced abortion, the threats, the violen

ogether, my mother's hands gesturing gracefully as she spun her web of lies. She painted me as a tragic, unstable art

"Ma'am, your husband says you hav

y. "Look at it. It w

took them, trying to smooth them out. He and his partner read thr

nderstanding, the spark of outrage on my behalf. B

s badly damaged, but what we can read seems to indicate a genetic abnormality with the fetu

mality... it's not what they say! It's about who

partner. It was the look people give

me to do this," I pressed, my voice getting louder, more fr

He turned to my family. "While this appears to be a family matter, an allegation of assault

anded they get a clean copy of the report directly from the lab. I gave them the n

e small room where they had me waiting. He w

" he said. "We've reviewed it. We also revie

forward, my hands grippi

her acting aggressively. We'

tense it almost made m

s what your family said. There's a severe genetic issue. And

ssue' is that my husband isn't the father. A r

husband, your father, or your brother. We questioned them. Liam and your father have volunteered for a DNA test to c

e was working. They were twisting the truth into something so ugly, no

walls closing in. "That

ear and cold. "I am the patient. That is my medi

en nodded slowly. "Alrigh

the weapon that had been used against me. And