Chapter 6
To force me to apologize, Mom first stormed into the dean’s office, causing a scene and demanding my withdrawal from school.
But the reputation I’d built over these months had made an impression. The dean refused to lose a promising student who could bring honor to the university.
When she realized she couldn’t force me to drop out, Mom threatened to disown me
completely–even if I died, she would never help me again.
I was unfazed by her almost manic behavior. Having given up on maternal love, the wounds that once devastated me couldn’t hurt me anymore.
As an adult, I was no longer a child she could humiliate at will.
So what if she cut ties? I could earn my own living expenses, apply for financial aid, and win
scholarships. I could handle any hardship–after all, what could be worse than the eighteen years I’d already endured?
Meanwhile, Mom wasn’t doing so well.
My unsterilized scissors had damaged her hair follicles. When her hair tried to grow back, it came in
patchy and uneven.
Despite countless visits to salons and medical specialists, her hair never returned to its former
smooth, glossy black state.
Her beauty–related company, where appearance was everything, used her “incompetence” and
“excessive absences” as excuses to fire her.
Unemployed and increasingly unhinged, she began spreading rumors that I was prostituting myself at school to pay for tuition and living expenses.
Mom always acted without considering consequences. She was so fixated on smearing my reputation that she forgot something crucial–I was still their daughter.
Any dirt thrown on me would inevitably stain them too.
The relentless gossip eventually reached Dad’s workplace. Several partnerships he was close to
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My Mother Shaved Me Bald on College Move–in Day
55.6
Chapter 6
finalizing fell through when the rumors reached his potential business partners, nearly getting him
fired.
Dad had always been hands–off at home. He never involved himself in conflicts between Mom and me, acting as if they didn’t exist.
But once his interests were directly threatened, his behavior changed dramatically.
That day, he hit Mom for the first time and delivered an ultimatum:
If she spread one more lie, he would divorce her immediately and leave her with nothing.
After taking a beating from Dad, Mom turned her rage on me–calling to curse me out before blocking my number.
This seemed to be her last attempt to control me, but little did she know, I was thrilled to be cut off.
I thought I’d finally severed all ties with that household forever.
Until sophomore year, when I was leaving my part–time job one weekend and got surrounded by people carrying cameras and microphones.
“Excuse me, are you Riley?” one asked.
I nodded, confused.
The lead producer signaled to his crew.
“That’s her. Let’s go!”
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