The constant legal battles, the public accusations, and Elias’s insidious gaslighting were taking an unbearable toll, not just on Eleanor, but on Leo. Eleanor started to notice disturbing changes in her son.
Leo, usually a bright and talkative child, grew quiet. He stopped playing with his school friends after school, retreating to his room. His grades, once consistently excellent, began to drop. He would often sit by the window, staring blankly out at the familiar Willow Creek landscape, his small face etched with a sadness far beyond his nine years.
One evening, Eleanor found him hunched over his drawing pad, but not sketching his usual superheroes or fantastical creatures. Instead, he was drawing a dark, swirling storm cloud.
She knelt beside him, her hand gently touching his shoulder. “Leo, honey, what’s wrong? You’ve been so quiet lately.”
He flinched, pulling away slightly. His eyes, usually full of light, were clouded with worry.
“It’s my fault, isn’t it?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Eleanor’s heart constricted. “What’s your fault, sweet pea?”
“All the trouble,” he murmured, picking at a loose thread on his jeans. “Dad says… he says I cause all the trouble. That if I hadn’t tripped him, none of this would be happening.”
The words were like a dagger to Eleanor’s chest. Elias’s gaslighting had extended to her innocent son, twisting Leo’s perception, making him believe he was responsible for the chaos tearing their family apart. The psychological toll on her child was growing unbearable, and Eleanor realized she had to end this, no matter the cost.
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