The sequel to Clean Break, where it’s time for a reckoning
Last week, I wrote a little about the end of the custody battle in Clean Break, a final agreement that ended a years-long tug of war.
It was a story that resonated far more than I ever expected. I even asked ChatGPT what made that piece so special, and among other things, it told me it offered closure and a hopeful ending.
Well, all I can say is that while there was closure on paper, there’s still none in real life. Not yet, anyway.
That’s not to say things aren’t hopeful; they definitely are.
But this platform is my space to talk about things as they were, as they are, and how to work through what happens after in the best possible way.
That being said, I know this part of my story won’t sit well with certain people.
I don’t give a damn.
None of them get it, because they all got to live their peaceful, normal lives. We took the blowups, the cleanups, and the wanting-to-give-ups while fighting those who pointed fingers at us for the mess they made.
My talking about it now isn’t about shaming anyone. This is me sharing my experience, the honest-to-God truth that deserves its time right now.
We talk about breaking cycles of abuse, but this is what it's like when you become the next target while trying to stop one. That's what makes this so complicated.
My goal here is honesty, not blame. And certainly not martyrdom.
As with most everything I write here, I'm writing about it because I need to heal from this experience. And maybe, if I can be brutally honest about my pain, someone else might take away something that helps theirs.
You don’t get to argue the experiences you refused to face yourself.
