Chapter 1

My daughter got her first cat and posted about it on social media. She forgot to hide it from me.

She wrote: [Growing up, I realized my parents never really loved me. Guess I'll have to learn to cherish myself.]

The post came with a close-up of her and the kitten, their cheeks pressed together.

I felt a wave of worry and tried to push down my unease as I reminded her: [You can't have a cat. You had asthma when you were little.]

But that one sentence really struck a nerve with Clara.

She instantly took a screenshot of our chat and posted it on a short video platform.

The caption read: [This kind of family is so suffocating. Anyone else can relate?]

Getting slammed by countless people online left me feeling both chilled and aggrieved. Because the doctor once said her asthma could relapse at any time.

*****

Clara's post was long, accusing me of all the things I'd done wrong over the years.

She wrote: [Ever wondered what it's like when your parents just don't love you?]

[It's like, when I grew up and went to the supermarket, I realized a big bag of snacks only costs 10 dollars. But when I was little, I was on my knees, crying and begging my mom to buy me one. But she told me we had no money. Yeah, right.]

[That made me think 10 dollars was some astronomical number our family could never afford. Now, every time I spend money, I feel guilty and get super cautious. But if you couldn't provide me a comfortable life, why did you even bring me into this world?]

[When I was little, all the other girls had plush toys, but I was never allowed to have one. My mom was never happy to have a daughter. She always wished for a son. So all I ever got were toy cars, the kind she thought a son would want.]

[Whenever I said I wanted a cat, she'd just shoot me down, saying cats shed everywhere and cleaning up after them is just too much trouble.]

[When I wanted to grow flowers, she told me they were too fragile and would just end up dying anyway. And in the end, she forced me to take care of a mimosa instead.]

[Basically, she always found a way to kill my vibe, to push me over the edge emotionally. She even lied to me, saying I was sick, as if I wouldn't know myself if I was actually sick. This is my family, just a toxic mess of control and lies.]

[Now that I'm grown, I'm doing my best to break free from all the damage she did to me as a kid, but she's still watching my every move, always trying to pull rank as my mother and keep me under her thumb.]

[I'm still struggling to break free, and I hope everyone out there can escape the grip of a toxic family and finally live the life you truly want.]

Clara's long rant and accusations felt like a heavy stone, weighing down on my chest and making it hard to breathe.

Every single word she wrote became a knife that cut deep into my heart. I felt both wronged and heartbroken.

What hurt most was that after everything I had done for her all these years, this was how Clara saw me.

But I ached for her too. She was always different, and she really had gone through a lot over the years.

As her mom, who loved her the most, I couldn't just walk away because she vented her frustrations online or acted out. Instead, I need to be the grown-up here and try to reach out, help her find her way, and guide her through this.

So I clicked into the comments section, my hands trembling a little as I got ready to leave Clara a message.

Maybe Clara's words really struck a chord with a lot of people, because the comments section was packed with support for her.

[Sending hugs to the OP! I totally feel you! My family's just like this. I'm already making plans to move out.]

[The OP's mom is seriously scary. People like her are nobodies in real life, so they get a taste of power from controlling their kids and just get addicted to it!]

[You're absolutely right, OP. Trust your own feelings. If you don't feel loved, then it's not love. Your mom doesn't love you. She just loves having control over you.]

[Hope we and the OP all get to live the lives we want and finally break free from toxic families!]

Seeing all that wild gossip in the comments, and Clara giving them likes, my heart ached and trembled with hurt. Breathing felt tough, and I didn't even realize when my tears started dripping onto the screen.

But honestly, these folks probably meant well. Besides, I was a 55-year-old lady. How could I possibly take it to heart with a bunch of kids?

So, I patiently tapped out my message on the screen, doing my best to stay calm.

[Clara, it's Mom. I'm sorry, sweetheart. This is my first time being a mom, and I know I didn't always get it right. I made you feel hurt, and that's on me. I didn't give you the childhood you truly deserved.]

After thinking it over, I realized just saying sorry wasn't enough to show how much I cared. So I messaged Clara and sent her 300 dollars.

I added: [Take care of yourself out there. If you want something to eat, just treat yourself.]