Chapter 4

From Chloe’s story, I pieced together the reasons for her suicide.

Her father had died when she was young, and she lived with her mother, who remarried into the Shane family. Ricky Shane was her stepfather’s son.

Ricky had always been a cruel, manipulative kid, and Chloe, being shy and obedient, was an easy target for him.

As Ricky got older, his bullying became something far worse. About a year ago, he started assaulting her.

No 17-year-old girl could bear that kind of violence.

So, Chloe began self-harming to cope with the unbearable pain.

“I would cut myself every time he assaulted me,” she said quietly, lowering her eyes.

I recalled the scars crisscrossing her arms and felt a cold sweat break out across my back.

“If he saw a new scar, he’d punish me even more.”

I stood there, at a loss for how to comfort her.

I looked up at her floating form. “Did you ever tell your mom?”

Chloe paused and then let out a bitter laugh. “I told her many times.”

I clenched the pillow in my hand, my palms slick with sweat.

She didn’t need to say it. I already knew. Her mother must have known but chose to ignore it to preserve her marriage and keep her comfortable life.

Not everyone is fit to be a mother.

I realized then that what truly broke Chloe wasn’t Ricky’s abuse. It was the cold indifference of being ignored.

That’s why she killed herself.