All Chapters of The Girl Who Cried Abuse: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

“My parents want me to go home after taking the SATs, Aunt June.”Kristen McLaughlin, my niece, wore a pained look on her face. She turned to look at my daughter, Gabrielle Drake, and said, “But I want to stay with Gabby. We won’t have many chances to see each other after I start college.”I nearly cursed out loud after I heard these familiar words. These were the very same pretty words Kristen had used in the previous timeline after she finished her SATs. In reality, she just did not want to go home and suffer the poor treatment awaiting her there.My brother and sister-in-law, Caleb and Harmony, much preferred their younger son. They had said early on that Kristen had to go home and work on the farm after she finished her SATs. They wanted her to make money for Kinsley to get a game console.In the previous timeline, I had been soft-hearted. I was worried that Kristen would have it very bad back home, so I gave Caleb and Harmony 5,000 dollars of my own money to keep Kristen w

The rest of the comments section took a turn after that comment. Several replies agreed with it. [There’s a point there. The timing is too perfect.][This aunt doesn’t seem like a good person.][I pity her niece.]There were only a few posts trying to defend me, but they were buried by the comments that castigated me. I did not get angry, because I had read far more scathing words in the previous timeline. I did not post a clarifying statement. The whole point of this project was to gain attention. The more people that know about this, the more people I would have on my side once I put the proof up after Kristen’s essay went viral. The commenters thought I did not reply because I felt guilty, and the debate ramped up to a fever pitch. Similarly, the whole debacle became more viral. Right then, my phone rang. It was Kristen calling. “Aunt June—” The second I answered the phone, I could hear Kristen crying so hard that she could barely speak. “Aunt June, can you take me

“Aunt June…”“Your dad will come get you this afternoon,” I cut in and did not allow her the chance to speak. At 2:00 p.m., Caleb arrived on his motorcycle. He was drenched in sweat, and a cigarette poked out between his teeth. The second he saw Kristen, he started scolding her. “Why did you run off, you wretched girl? Who’s going to do the work back home? Who’s going to watch Kinsley?”Kristen hid behind me and held the corner of my top in a death grip. “I don’t want to go back, Aunt June. Please, I’m begging you…”I looked into her eyes and said calmly, “Kristen, these are your parents. You’ll have to go home eventually. You’ve stayed with us for three years, and it’s about time you went home.”I spoke gently, and I even smiled. However, I was wrenching Kristen’s fingers off me, one by one. I watched as Kristen was dragged onto the motorcycle. When she looked back at me, her gaze went from pleading to hateful. Then, it took on a hint of something I could not name. The m

After posting that comment, the comments section exploded. [Goodness, this aunt is simply too nice! How could she let it go when she’s being slandered so badly?][This is a true saint. Her niece is impossible in comparison.][This can’t be the end of it! She might not want to pursue this matter, but we’ll do it for her! Such a person should not be forgiven!][I’ve left a comment on her college’s social media page. They should not accept such a student.][Her parents aren’t good people, either. You can’t rear a dog with 300 dollars.]The current trending hashtags were, in order: #FalsifiedEssay, #BestAunt, and #SlanderedAunt.However, I did not feel much joy when I saw that. Instead, I was indescribably tired. In the previous timeline, the hashtags had lambasted me. Gabrielle was bullied online to the point of suicide. In this timeline, all I had done was lay out the truth, and everything was going the opposite way. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with messages from Kristen.Th