Chapter 9 — Boundaries

The next months filled with doctor visits, legal meetings, and long nights. Ashley started therapy, and so did Samuel. And I had to face something hard about myself: I had given my relatives too much access to our lives for too long.

For years I’d handed them keys, jobs, money, and unearned trust, confusing family obligation with love. Every time my father’s business failed, I paid his debts.

Every time Stephanie lost a job, I made her a role at my company. Every time my mother was cruel to Ashley, I swallowed it and asked my wife to be patient for the sake of peace.

I hadn’t caused their cruelty — but my silence had let it grow.

One evening Ashley asked, “Why was it so hard to set boundaries with them?”

“Because I grew up believing that saying no to my parents was a betrayal of family.”