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BUT HERE’S WHAT YOU NEVER EXPECTED: YOUR CRUELTY DIDN’T DESTROY ME — IT FORGED ME. YOU TRIED TO MAKE ME SMALL, BUT YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO STAND TALL. YOU TRIED TO SILENCE ME, BUT YOU GAVE ME THE FIRE TO SPEAK. YOU TRIED TO BREAK ME, BUT I PUT MYSELF BACK TOGETHER, PIECE BY PIECE, WITHOUT YOUR HELP. I BECAME STRONG, NOT BECAUSE OF YOU — BUT IN SPITE OF YOU. YOUR ABUSE MADE ME INDEPENDENT. IT MADE ME FIGHT FOR MY PEACE. AND NOW I HAVE IT. I HAVE BUILT A LIFE WHERE YOUR VOICE NO LONGER CONTROLS ME. YOUR DARKNESS NO LONGER FOLLOWS ME. I SURVIVED YOU — AND THAT IS MY GREATEST VICTORY. TO MY FATHER, I’VE CARRIED THE WEIGHT OF YOUR ABUSE FOR MOST OF MY LIFE. THE WORDS YOU THREW AT ME, THE THINGS YOU DID — THEY DIDN’T JUST HURT IN THE MOMENT, THEY CARVED THEMSELVES INTO THE DEEPEST PARTS OF MY MIND. YOU DIDN’T JUST BREAK MY HEART; YOU SHATTERED THE WAY I SAW MYSELF, THE WAY I TRUSTED OTHERS, THE WAY I FELT SAFE IN THIS WORLD. THERE WERE NIGHTS I COULDN’T SLEEP BECAUSE YOUR VOICE ECHOED IN MY HEAD, LOUDER THAN MY OWN THOUGHTS. THERE WERE DAYS I COULDN’T GET OUT OF BED BECAUSE YOU HAD CONVINCED ME I WAS WORTHLESS. AND FOR A LONG TIME, I BELIEVED IT. I BELIEVED YOU. BUT HERE’S WHAT YOU NEVER EXPECTED: YOUR CRUELTY DIDN’T DESTROY ME — IT FORGED ME. YOU TRIED TO MAKE ME SMALL, BUT YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO STAND TALL. YOU TRIED TO SILENCE ME, BUT YOU GAVE ME THE FIRE TO SPEAK. YOU TRIED TO BREAK ME, BUT I PUT MYSELF BACK TOGETHER, PIECE BY PIECE, WITHOUT YOUR HELP. I BECAME STRONG, NOT BECAUSE OF YOU — BUT IN SPITE OF YOU. YOUR ABUSE MADE ME INDEPENDENT. IT MADE ME FIGHT FOR MY PEACE. AND NOW I HAVE IT. I HAVE BUILT A LIFE WHERE YOUR VOICE NO LONGER CONTROLS ME. YOUR DARKNESS NO LONGER FOLLOWS ME. I SURVIVED YOU — AND THAT IS MY GREATEST VICTORY. BUT DON’T MISTAKE MY HEALING FOR FORGIVENESS. I DO NOT FORGIVE YOU. FORGIVENESS WOULD MEAN EXCUSING WHAT YOU DID, AND I WON’T REWRITE THE TRUTH JUST TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. YOU HURT ME IN WAYS I’LL SPEND MY WHOLE LIFE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. YOU HAD A CHOICE — AGAIN AND AGAIN — AND YOU CHOSE TO BE CRUEL. YOU CHOSE TO BE THE KIND OF FATHER A CHILD SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO ENDURE. I HOPE ONE DAY YOU SIT WITH THE WEIGHT OF WHAT YOU DID. I HOPE IT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT THE WAY YOUR ABUSE KEPT ME UP FOR YEARS. I HOPE YOU FEEL EVEN A FRACTION OF THE PAIN YOU CAUSED ME — NOT OUT OF REVENGE, BUT SO YOU FINALLY UNDERSTAND. THIS ISN’T ABOUT HATE. THIS IS ABOUT TRUTH. I GOT OVER WHAT YOU DID — BUT I WILL NEVER FORGET IT. AND I WILL NEVER, EVER LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN. A LETTER I SENT TO MY FATHER