Dear Neighbour, Our Once-Loved Friend,
I Thought I Was Dying—But It Wasn’t My Heart. It Was the Trauma.
At times, I could barely speak to you. The anxiety was so intense, I truly thought I was having heart failure. My chest would seize up, my hands would go numb, and my voice would disappear.
It wasn’t fear of you, exactly—it was fear of what had already been done. The gaslighting. The betrayal. The twisted reality that left me questioning my own mind while trying to protect my daughter from emotional chaos.
He didn’t just lie. He stayed to watch the damage. And I believe some part of him wanted to see how far I’d fall.
But I didn’t fall. I fought.
For her.
And I would do it all again to shield her from the yelling, the instability, and the slow erosion of peace that lived behind closed doors.
"The Forgotten Conversation"
I stood in the kitchen, heart racing.
"You said you'd be home by seven," I told him, trying to keep my voice calm. “I waited for dinner. I even called you.”