The Unsent Appeal Chapter 15
“I just spent more time with Allie.”
“You were always in class or at work, so I got used to going to her for everything.”
I heard every word.
But I didn’t need their apologies anymore, and I didn’t care about the insults online.
Since coming to Dublin, the only person I had to answer to was myself.
“Fine,” I said.
“I can make a statement saying the videos were edited.”
“But you also need to release the full, unedited footage and explain why every argument happened.”
I paused.
“That includes explaining why I was cleaning out the attic.”
The apologetic tone vanished from Mom’s voice.
A few seconds later, she said, “Do we really have to go that far?”
“We’ve already taken Allie’s phone, and we’ve made her stay in her room to think about what she did.”
“If the full videos go out, people will attack her, too.”
“Just come back once, okay?”
“We can sit down and talk. This will always be your home.”
I let out a short, harsh laugh.
“Home?”
“You mean the house my key didn’t open, the one where you didn’t even leave me a room?”
“I’m not coming back.”
“And remember this—I will *never* come back.”
“Don’t contact me again.”
I hung up and blocked every number they owned.
I had known the answer all along.
They were only apologizing to protect themselves and Allison.
Things unfolded exactly as I expected.
The videos circulated for a while, then were replaced by the next wave of news. None of it affected my work in Ireland.