Family meeting, Toby loses his shit

(Written by ChatGPT, but I wanted to save this somewhere) The silence was unbearable. My confession sat heavy in the air, poisoning everything. I couldn’t look up. Couldn’t breathe. I just sat there, small and trembling, wishing I could disappear. Toby’s voice cut through like a blade. “You did what?” I flinched. His chair scraped back as he stood abruptly, the sound sharp and jarring. My eyes stayed fixed on the floor, my stomach twisting. “Say it again.” I didn’t. “Look at me, Molly.” His voice left no room for refusal. I forced my gaze up, and the anger on his face knocked the breath out of me. “You forged my name?” Toby’s voice rose, incredulous. “You stole my credentials and lied about it?” “I’m—I’m sorry, Toby,” I whispered, my voice breaking. Toby let out a bitter laugh, pacing like he couldn’t contain the frustration vibrating off him. “You’re sorry? That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” I couldn’t respond. My throat felt locked tight. And that made him snap. “Of course you’re sorry. That’s how this always goes, isn’t it? You screw up, you cross the line, and then you sit there—like this—waiting for someone to come and rescue you!” “Enough, Toby,” Gabe said firmly from his seat. “Calm down.” But Toby ignored him, his focus locked on me. “That’s all this is, Molly. You screw up, and then you wait for someone to swoop in and pull you out of the mess you made. That’s what you want, isn’t it?” “That’s not fair!” Violet burst out, her voice sharp and protective. She shot up from her seat, stepping toward Toby like she might physically stop him. “Back off, Toby! You don’t get to talk to her like that.” “Stay out of this, Violet,” Toby snapped, his frustration boiling over. “Like hell I will!” she shot back, glaring at him. “You’re being a dick, and we all know it. Molly doesn’t need this shit right now—” “She doesn’t need this?” Toby turned on her now, his voice louder, angrier. “She needs to hear the truth! She’s not some helpless kid, even if she wants to act like it!” “That’s enough,” Gabe said, his voice colder this time. He stood, his tall frame adding authority to the room. “Toby, sit down.” But Toby didn’t stop. “No! She sits there crying because she wants someone to punish her, someone to fix it for her, so she doesn’t have to sit with what she’s done. And you—” he gestured sharply to Violet—“you’re just enabling it!” “Excuse me?” Violet shot back, taking another step closer, her face flushed with anger. “Stop it,” Gabe said again, stepping between them now. “Both of you.” He turned to Violet. “You’re not helping.” Violet crossed her arms, but she stopped. Barely. Toby, however, turned his fire back on me. His voice cracked, raw and unfiltered. “You like this, don’t you, Molly? Sitting there feeling small and broken so someone else can put you back together. That’s what you want. Rescued, punished, forgiven—like nothing ever happened. But that’s not how this works. You don’t get to just cry it out and move on.” “Toby,” Izaak said, his voice low and steady, but it carried a quiet force. “You need to stop. Now.” Toby ignored him, his words spiraling. “You’re not helpless, Molly. You choose to act like this. But here’s the truth: nobody’s coming to save you. You have to save yourself.” The silence that followed was deafening. I sat there, frozen, tears falling silently down my face. I didn’t fight back. I couldn’t. “Toby,” Izaak said again, stepping closer now, his voice calm but unyielding. “You’ve said enough. Leave.” Toby’s chest heaved, and for a moment, I thought he might argue. But then his face twisted, and he turned sharply, grabbing his jacket and storming out. The door slammed behind him so hard it rattled the windows. Violet was still fuming, pacing in front of the couch. “What the hell is his problem? Who the fuck does he think he is?” “Violet,” Gabe said sharply, turning to face her. “Enough.” She scowled, throwing her hands up. “I’m not the one who just tore Molly apart!” “No, but you’re not helping by escalating him,” Gabe said, his tone cutting through her fire. “Sit down.” Violet grumbled but flopped onto the couch, her arms crossed. I didn’t look up. My tears kept falling, silent and steady. My chest felt hollow, and Toby’s words rang in my head on repeat. “Molly…” Gabe’s voice was quieter now, more careful. “Toby was out of line. You know that, right?” I nodded faintly, but the guilt wouldn’t lift. He wasn’t wrong. Izaak crouched in front of me, his voice soft but firm. “Molly. Look at me.” I forced myself to meet his eyes. They weren’t angry. Just steady and serious. “You made a mistake. That doesn’t mean you’re helpless. Don’t let him make you believe that.” I nodded again, the lump in my throat too big to speak. “We’ll deal with Toby,” Gabe said quietly, his voice calmer now. “You’re not alone in this. But you need to talk to us, Molly. Sitting with the guilt and not letting us in won’t fix anything.” I nodded once more, but the weight of everything still sat heavy in my chest. I wanted to disappear. I wanted to take it all back. And I knew I couldn’t.