After we hung up, Kinley whistled low. «She’s actually trying to get you committed. That’s a new low, even for Sasha.»
«Maya, your phone’s lighting up again.»
I looked at the screen. Multiple missed calls from numbers I didn’t recognize. Reporters, I realized. The story’s getting bigger.
«Are you going to talk to them?»
«Hell no. But I am going to do something else.»
«What?»
I opened my laptop and started typing. «I’m going to post the truth. All of it. Bank records, legal documents, everything. If they want to play this game in public, I’ll give the public the whole story.»
«Maya, are you sure? Once you put this out there, there’s no taking it back.»
«Good. I want everyone to know exactly what kind of people they are.»
I uploaded the documents to a secure file-sharing site and started writing a detailed post explaining everything. The years of financial support. The forged signatures. The fraud. The lies.
«There,» I said, hitting publish. «Let’s see them spin this.»
Within minutes, my post was being shared across multiple platforms. The evidence was undeniable. The timeline clear.
My phone rang. It was a number I didn’t recognize. «Maya, this is Detective Rodriguez. We need to talk.»
«About what?»
«Your parents just filed a restraining order against you, claiming harassment and financial abuse. But based on the evidence you just posted online, I think we need to have a very different conversation.»
«What kind of conversation?»
«The kind where we discuss pressing charges against them for fraud, identity theft, and filing false police reports.»
I smiled for the first time in days. «Detective, I’d be happy to cooperate with that investigation.»
The hunter had become the hunted, and I was just getting started.
The courtroom was packed when I finally flew back home. Detective Rodriguez had fast-tracked the case once my evidence went public, and the media attention made it impossible to ignore. I sat in the front row, watching my parents at the defendant’s table. Dad looked like he’d aged 10 years in two weeks. Mom kept dabbing at her eyes with tissues. Sasha sat behind them, glaring at me with pure hatred.
«All rise for the Honorable Judge Martinez.»
The judge was a no-nonsense woman in her 50s who’d clearly read every document in the case file. «This is a preliminary hearing for charges of fraud, identity theft, and filing false police reports against Albert and Ava Gill. Ms. Maya, you’re the complainant?»
«Yes, Your Honor.»
«Mr. Gill, you’re representing yourself?»
Dad stood up shakily. «Yes, Your Honor. We couldn’t afford a lawyer.»
«I see. And Ms. Sasha, you’re here as a witness?»
«I’m here to tell the truth about my sister’s lies!» Sasha said loudly.
«You’ll speak when spoken to,» Judge Martinez said sharply. «Now, let’s review the evidence.»
The prosecutor laid it out methodically. The forged signatures. The fraudulent sale. The years of financial support my parents had accepted while planning to steal from me. The attempted identity theft for additional loans.
«Your Honor,» Dad said when given the chance to speak. «We’re a family. Maya’s been supporting us for years. We thought the apartment was a family asset.»
«Mr. Gill, did you forge your daughter’s signature on legal documents?»
«Well, yes, but…»
«Did you sell property that belonged to her without her knowledge or consent?»
«Technically, yes, but she wasn’t using it.»
«Mr. Gill, there is no ‘technically’ when it comes to fraud. You either committed these crimes or you didn’t.»
Mom stood up, tears streaming down her face. «Your Honor, Maya’s been playing games with our family for years. She’s been secretly controlling our finances, manipulating us.»
«Mrs. Gill, your daughter was voluntarily paying your bills. That’s called generosity, not manipulation.»
«But she never told us!»
«She had no obligation to tell you. The money was hers to give or withhold as she saw fit.»
Sasha couldn’t contain herself anymore. «She ruined my wedding! She destroyed our family out of spite!»
«Ms. Sasha, you’re out of order.»
«She’s a vindictive bitch who…»
«Bailiff, remove Ms. Sasha from my courtroom.»
I watched as security escorted my screaming sister out. Even now, she couldn’t accept responsibility for anything.
«Your Honor,» the prosecutor continued, «the defendants have also filed false police reports claiming the victim was financially abusing them when in fact, she was supporting them.»
«I’ve reviewed those reports,» Judge Martinez said. «They’re clearly retaliatory and without merit.»
Dad tried one more time. «Your Honor, we’re willing to make restitution. We can pay Maya back.»
«With what money, Mr. Gill? According to the financial records, you’re completely insolvent.»
«We’ll figure something out. We’re family.»
«Mr. Gill, you forfeited the right to claim family loyalty when you committed fraud against your daughter.»
The judge’s ruling was swift and decisive. Dad got 18 months in minimum security prison. Mom got 12 months and probation. Both were ordered to pay full restitution, though everyone knew they’d never be able to.
As the courtroom cleared, Kinley squeezed my shoulder. «How do you feel?»
«Empty,» I said honestly. «Satisfied, but empty.»
«That’s normal. You did the right thing.»
«Did I? I just sent my parents to prison.»
«You held them accountable for their crimes. There’s a difference.»
Outside the courthouse, reporters swarmed us. I gave a brief statement about the importance of financial boundaries and family accountability, then got in Kinley’s car.
«Where to?» she asked.
«The apartment. I want to see it.»
We drove to my old building in silence. The doorman, Carlos, recognized me immediately. «Ms. Maya, we heard about the trouble. I’m so sorry.»
«Thank you, Carlos. Is the apartment still empty?»
«Yes, ma’am. The sale was voided, so it’s still yours.»
I took the elevator up to the 15th floor and opened the door to my home. Everything was exactly as I’d left it eight months ago. My books on the shelves, my photos on the walls, my life frozen in time.
«It feels different,» I told Kinley.
«How so?»
«Smaller. Like it belongs to someone else.»
My phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. I almost ignored it, then saw it was from Xander. «Maya, I wanted you to know. Sasha’s been telling everyone you bribed the judge and fabricated evidence. She started a GoFundMe to ‘fight your lies.’ It has $12 in donations.»
I showed Kinley the message. «She’s never going to change, is she?»
«Probably not. But that’s not your problem anymore.»
«What about my parents?»
«What about them? They’re going to prison because of me.»
«They’re going to prison because they committed crimes. You didn’t make them forge your signature, Maya. You didn’t make them steal from you.»
I walked to the window and looked out at the city skyline. Somewhere out there, my family was dealing with the consequences of their actions. Sasha was probably posting more rants on social media. My parents were probably still trying to figure out how to blame me for their situation.
«Kinley?»
«Yeah?»
«I want to sell this place.»
«Really?»
«Yeah. Too many bad memories now. I want to start fresh somewhere else.»
«Where will you go?»
«I don’t know yet. Maybe stay in Singapore? Maybe try somewhere new entirely?»
«What about your family?»
I turned away from the window. «What family? The people who raised me are strangers. They showed me exactly who they are when they thought I was powerless to stop them.»
«Do you regret it? Any of it?»
I thought about the question seriously. The years of financial support, the secret payments, the elaborate revenge, the public humiliation, the criminal charges.
«No,» I said finally. «I regret that it came to this, but I don’t regret standing up for myself. For the first time in my life, I chose me over them.»
«And how does that feel?»
«Terrifying. Liberating. Lonely.» I paused. «But right.»
My phone rang. It was Detective Rodriguez. «Maya, I wanted to let you know. We’ve had three other families come forward with similar stories after seeing your case in the news. Parents stealing from adult children, forging signatures, financial abuse. Your case is opening doors for other victims.»
«That’s good, I guess.»
«It is good. You stood up for yourself, and now others feel empowered to do the same.»
After he hung up, I looked around the apartment one more time.
«Ready to go?» Kinley asked.
«Yeah, I’m ready.»
We locked up and headed for the elevator. As the doors closed, I caught my reflection in the polished metal. I looked different. Older, maybe. Definitely harder. But also free.
«Kinley?»
«Yeah?»
«Thank you. For everything.»
«That’s what friends are for. Real friends, you mean.»
«The only kind worth having.»
As we walked out of the building, I deleted my parents’ contact information from my phone. Then Sasha’s. Then every relative who’d sent me angry messages about destroying the family. The phone felt lighter in my hand.
Some bridges are meant to burn. And sometimes, the only way to save yourself is to walk away from the ashes and never look back.
I was finally free to find out who I was when I wasn’t busy being everyone else’s solution. And for the first time in years, that felt like enough.
