After my stepfather injured my twin sister and me, he brought us to the hospital. My mother calmly told the doctor, “They just fell down the stairs.” My stepfather smiled, thinking he had won. But as the nurse checked my vitals, I slipped a handwritten note into her pocket, and…

was thriving in the pre-nursing program, her empathy finally channeled into a weapon for healing rather than a vulnerability to be exploited. I had declared my major in forensic accounting. I was going to learn how to track the secrets men like Arthur tried to bury in the numbers, just like my father.

Chloe bumped her shoulder gently against mine. “Do continue reading …