Chapter 12 - The Divorce Was About Safety, Not Revenge
I filed for divorce.
Not because I wanted Serena poor.
Not because I wanted to publicly destroy her.
Because I could not maintain a household where my daughter’s medical needs had been treated as a character defect.
Our finances were divided under the law and our marital agreement.
No magical punishment.
Serena left with significant assets.
I kept the house temporarily.
The family court issued strict limits regarding Nora because Serena was a stepparent without independent parental rights after separation.
There was no custody war over her.
That simplified one thing.
But emotionally, Nora still needed help.
She had spent years trying to earn approval from Serena.
Even children who fear someone can miss them after separation.
One night Nora asked:
“Do you think Serena ever loved me?”
I thought carefully.
“Yes.”
“Then why did she do bad stuff?”
“Because love doesn’t automatically make people good at caring for someone.”
She frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“No.”
It often doesn’t.
I refused to tell her Serena never loved her.
I also refused to use love to excuse what happened.
May you like
Both truths could exist.
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