Chapter 14 - MARGARET AND SOPHIE
Five years after the chain incident, Sophie asked to see Margaret.
She was thirteen.
Old enough to have a meaningful preference.
We arranged it with a therapist.
Margaret did not touch her.
“Hi, Sophie.”
“Hi.”
Then Sophie asked:
“Why did you chain me?”
No warm-up.
Margaret answered:
“Because I was angry at your mother and I wanted you to obey me.”
“Why did you say I wasn’t real family?”
“Because I wanted to hurt your mother and because I had unhealthy beliefs about blood.”
“Did you know Grandpa was my biological father?”
“I strongly suspected.”
“So you were lying?”
Margaret closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because cruelty does not need logic when someone is trying to control another person.”
The therapist glanced at her.
Margaret continued:
“That’s what I learned afterward.”
Sophie asked:
“Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
“Then why wasn’t that enough?”
Margaret cried.
“Because I thought love gave me authority.”
Sophie was silent.
Then:
“I don’t want you alone with me.”
Margaret nodded.
“Okay.”
“Maybe holidays.”
“Okay.”
No hug.
No forgiveness performance.
May you like
A boundary.
That was enough.
