At the age of 15, I was forced out into a storm due to a false accusation from my sister.

Gloria was a social worker with more than twenty years of experience, and during those two decades she had encountered nearly every version of family dysfunction imaginable. She had worked with neglected children, abused teenagers, parents who hid behind excuses, and siblings who manipulated the truth to protect themselves. She had learned that the most dangerous harm was not always physical. It was often emotional, silent, and wrapped in denial. By the time she came across me that night, Gloria already understood…