“Why didn’t you come back for me then?” I whispered, my voice raw, barely audible.
My mother’s shoulders slumped, and for the first time, I saw a crack in her polished facade.
“We were young, Rose,” she said, her voice shaking. “We thought you’d be fine. Your father and I… we couldn’t handle everything. And we didn’t know how to face you.”
The excuses spilled out of her, weak and unconvincing, like a hollow cry for forgiveness.
But I had heard enough.
“No.” I shook my head, my voice gaining strength. “You don’t get to do this. Not now. Not after everything. I’ve built a life without you. A life that’s better than anything you’ve given me.”
Her face crumpled as if the weight of my words had shattered her mask.
And just as I thought I was free of her manipulations, her voice cut through the silence again.
“Rose, please. Your father is dying. We need you. I need you.” She grasped my arm, her fingers cold and desperate. “You’re our only chance.”
I pulled away, every muscle in my body screaming. “No, Mom. You need me now because you’re losing control. But I’m not your backup anymore. I’m not your second chance.”
I turned away, my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel their presence behind me, like a storm trying to drag me back into a past I didn’t belong to anymore.
But then I heard it
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