For years, my stepfather kept my twin sister and me living in constant fear, as though our suffering was the only thing that satisfied him. One night, after beating us until we both lost consciousness, he carried us into the emergency room while my mother quietly told the doctors, “They just fell down the stairs.”

The courtroom remained silent as she turned toward our mother.

“You watched him hurt us.”

Another long pause followed.

“And you chose him.”

Our mother broke down crying.

“I was afraid.”

Chloe nodded slowly.

“So were we.”

She looked at me before speaking one final time.

“We still chose each other.”

That was the moment the defense stopped fighting.

Eleven months later, the trial came to an end. Edric was convicted on multiple felony charges, including aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit murder, financial exploitation, forgery, witness intimidation, and numerous crimes connected to years of abuse. He was sentenced to forty-eight years in a maximum-security prison, while our mother pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud, child endangerment, and obstruction of justice.

Before sentencing, our mother looked toward us one final time.

“I’m still your mother.”

I met her eyes calmly.

“No.”

She waited, hoping I would say something else.

“You were our first betrayal.”