Chapter 10 - Breaking the Cycle
Paige stared at me for a long moment, the anger flashing in her eyes before it extinguished into sheer, hollow defeat.
"I hated Marcus," she confessed quietly, wrapping her arms around her ribs. "He was so boring, Jake. Everything was a spreadsheet. Everything was a five-year plan. I felt like I was suffocating in that house. Greg made me feel... exciting. He made me feel like I was twenty again."
"So you divorce him, Paige," I said bluntly. "You sit down like an adult, you say 'This isn't working,' and you split up your assets. You don't drag another man through hell, embezzle money, and then expect your brother to hand over his life savings to fix it. That's not being young and reckless. That's being selfish."
Paige let out a ragged breath. "I know. I know that now. Mom told me... she told me you wouldn't care. She told me you had plenty of money and that you owed it to me because I was a girl and life was harder for women."
A cold shudder ran through me. Hearing my mother’s toxic logic repeated aloud was chilling.
"Mom used you, Paige," I said, softening my voice just a fraction. "And she used me. She kept you dependent on her so she could feel needed, and she treated me like an ATM to clean up the mess. If you stay in that house with her, she will keep doing it until you have nothing left."
Paige wiped a single tear from her cheek. "I don't have anywhere else to go."
"Then work the hospital shift. Save every penny that isn't garnished. Rent a room from a roommate. Do what I did when I was twenty-one," I said. "Build your own life from scratch. It's hard, but it's real. And nobody can ever hold it over your head."
Paige stood up slowly. She looked at me, her eyes searching mine for the familiar brother who used to cave whenever she threw a tantrum. But that brother was dead. Standing before her was an independent man with clear boundaries.
"You're not going to come over for Thanksgiving, are you?" she asked.
"No," I replied without hesitation. "I'm spending Thanksgiving with Marcus and his parents. They invited me last week."
A flicker of genuine pain crossed her face, but she didn't scream or argue. For the first time in her life, Paige had to swallow the bitter medicine of reality.
"Okay," she whispered. "Thanks for... thanks for listening to me, Jake."
"Goodnight, Paige."
She walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out into the hallway. She turned back one last time, gave me a slight, somber nod, and then walked down the stairs. I closed the door, locked the deadbolt, and took a deep, clean breath.
May you like
The cycle was finally broken. I felt a surge of genuine peace. I poured myself a glass of water, sat back down on the couch, and watched the rest of the game. For the first time in years, my home felt like an absolute sanctuary.
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