On the season finale of Vassalage: Truth, Lies, and Power, my father’s next move shocks everyone.

Yes, it is the long-awaited progress toward separation — but not the kind of progress we were expecting. Instead of negotiation or resolution, my father suddenly disappears. He walks away from his family, his business, and everything he has built, leaving everything — and everyone — hanging in the balance.

It feels like the ultimate temper tantrum. One so extreme that his family begins questioning his mental health. But was it really a breakdown? Or was it just another power play — another attempt to control the game by leaving it entirely?

In Goodbye, I Love You, I read the letters that mark this moment: a calm, detailed response from my mother, followed by silence, panic, and finally a goodbye letter framed as love and sacrifice.

This episode sets the stage for Season 2, where the story unfolds over just seven days, across twenty letters and more than 8,500 words, as my father’s family desperately tries to get him to come home before it’s too late — only to discover that when the dust settles, he emerges more powerful than when he left.

⚠️ Content Note:
This episode discusses sensitive themes and adult content, including suicide, abuse and coercive control, and may not be suitable for all listeners. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 in the U.S. for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

🔒 Link to Patreon episode

🎵 Music Credit:
Opening and closing music features Moonlight Sonata performed with permission by Paul Pitman. This piece is used intentionally. My father often played Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven on our piano at home, and I remember sitting in the hallway listening as a young child. Its presence in this podcast reflects the emotional atmosphere of these events — restrained, familiar, and unresolved.

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