Salome texted, “If you’re free, we’ve got room in the car.” No formal invite—just a last-minute escape to a cabin with booze, snacks, and trash TV.

But when I slid into the car, everything froze.

Mara. My ex’s sister. The one who promised to stay neutral, then ghosted me after siding with him.

No one warned me. It wasn’t spontaneous—it was a setup.

The drive was tense. Mara asked about my life like nothing happened. I shot back one-word replies. Finally, Lena said, “We know it’s weird.”

Mara apologized—said she’d been manipulated, scared, and regretted it all. I listened, but didn’t trust her. Not yet.

At the cabin, they dragged me on a “bonding” hike. The waterfall’s roar softened the bitterness in my chest. Mara looked at me and said, “I can’t undo what I did. But can we be okay this weekend?”

I nodded. “We can try.”

On our last night, drunk and crying, she told me the truth: her brother admitted everything. He’d lied. He’d cheated. He’d blamed me.

My heart cracked open.

I wasn’t crazy.

We were both victims of the same man—and now, maybe, survivors together.

Forgiveness takes time. But truth? It sets you free.