Chapter 8 - THE FAMILY GROUP CHAT EXPLODES
By morning, the extended family group chat was a battlefield. My mother had gone online and spun a wild narrative claiming I had thrown a violent tantrum at the barbecue, abandoned the family, and was now alienating my son from his grandmother out of spite. Relatives I hadn't spoken to in months began texting me harsh rebukes. Instead of arguing or defending myself, I uploaded a single screenshot of my text exchange with my mother from the night before, along with a direct message to the entire group: “She called my four-year-old son an unreal child and starved him of food at her table. If you support her, do not ever contact us again.”
