Even though it had been twenty years, my dad appeared utterly mired in the shame of that moment as he spoke. It was clear how deeply the experiences of that period had impacted him and affected his self-esteem.

"I lost my mind back then. I tried to drive Moira away, yelling at her and smashing things. But she still took care of me until my injuries healed, even though it exhausted all her savings. I couldn't afford the high medical expenses and had to leave the hospital even though I hadn't fully recovered," my dad said.

My mom covered her face beside me, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"Moira was afraid I would be traumatized when I returned to school, or that I would become depressed and have suicidal thoughts because I hadn't fully recovered. She took me back to her house. Moira was by my side the entire month, taking painstaking care of me," my dad continued.

"After I got beat up, that wealthy girl never got in touch with me again. I don’t know if she just thought it was