“Stop overreacting, you’re ruining her day!” my mother hissed, grabbing my hair and pushing me over the balcony railing at my sister’s party. I blacked out. When I woke up, the upscale venue was surrounded by federal agents, and my mother was sobbing on her knees while my sister held a document and begged me…

to tremble with an agonizing, silent confusion. He grabbed the sleeve of my blouse, his fingers cold and shaking violently.

What kind of monster does this? The thought screamed through my mind, echoing the trauma of a balcony, of a mother’s hands violently pushing her own flesh and blood into the abyss. I recognized this cruelty. I knew its exact flavor.continue reading …