Others simply shook their heads, disappointed by what they had just heard.
Even several of Marc's closest friends refused to defend him.
They had seen enough.
A few weeks later, I left home for good.
It wasn't easy.
There were moments of doubt.
Moments of sadness.
Nights when I wondered how my life could have taken this turn.
But there was something else too.
Freedom.
A freedom I hadn't felt in years.
I began to rebuild my life. At my own pace.
Without shouting.
Without any reproach.
Without having to earn every ounce of respect.
