The moonlight slips through the thin curtains. 

I toss and turn, restless, the silk sheets tangling around my legs like a trap, refusing to offer me even the smallest comfort. It’s as if the more I try to find a place of peace, the further it slips away from me.

Every time I close my eyes, I see the confrontation with my mother. Her words echo in my head, slicing through the quiet of my thoughts.

Disowned. The word hangs in the air like a curse, a final severing of the bond I had foolishly hoped still existed between us. 

I had always known it, deep down, even when I...