That night of fever and rain changed everything. For years, I had bent myself around my mother’s moods, excusing her sharp words and her selfishness. But watching Emily shiver in my arms, I finally saw her for what she was—not the strong, self-sacrificing mother she claimed to be, but someone who abandoned her grandchild when it mattered most. The silence I chose afterward wasn’t weakness; it was a boundary. And boundaries, I realized, were stronger than any shouted argument could ever be.

As my mother scrambled to defend herself, spinning stories and calling my brother in desperation, the truth spread on its own. Mark no longer brushed it aside. Emily herself grew wary, her instincts sharper than any lecture. My mother’s grip loosened, her power fading with every excuse she made. And for the first time in my life, I didn’t feel fear—I felt free. My loyalty belonged to Emily, and that was enough.