“Scott says I ruined his life,” she said.

Daniel shook his head. “Scott has always needed someone else to blame.”

Melissa filed for divorce two months later. She did not ask Daniel to testify or choose sides. She simply left, after understanding that Scott’s cruelty had not started with one message.

The message had only made it impossible to ignore.

Patricia kept sending letters. Daniel returned the first three unopened. The fourth was addressed directly to Lily, so he let her decide. Lily read it at the kitchen table.

Patricia wrote that she had always loved her, that families should forgive mistakes, that it hurt to be excluded, that strangers had treated her cruelly online.