“Mom, I need to talk to you. Call me as soon as possible.” James’ voice had an urgency that Judith hadn’t heard since he totaled her car when he was in high school.
Judith felt instant concern whenever one of her children was in distress. Except James was 30 and his problems were the adult sort that he kept mostly to himself. But James shared a strong bond with his mother so Judith knew it must be something serious. There was a second message as well.
“Liza’s written some sort of Mommie Dearest book called Broken Boundaries and it’s being hailed as ‘a must-read, New York Times bestseller’” James said with more than a hint of bitterness in his voice. “I can’t believe this crap!”
Judith slumped onto the oversized green chair in the corner of her bedroom. Her face drained of color and she felt a sudden urge to vomit.
Divorced from her children’s father when the youngest was two, Judith had struggled. Liza was Judith’s middle child, bookended by two brothers. The boys had always been easy and affectionate. From an early age, Liza was obstinate, aggrieved, certain Judith loved the boys more. By the time Liza was a teenager, she was ungovernable. Cutting classes, shoplifting, walking around high most days. She even stole jewelry from the couple next door while babysitting their child. In the meantime, Liza told anybody who would listen – school counselors, the police, a social worker – what a terrible mother Judith was.
“Dylan and I stand by you, Mom,” James said, referring to his younger brother. “Call me soon!”
Judith was transported to a darker time. Liza had left home for good at 18 and severed ties with Judith after a series of texts, insisting Judith respect her “boundaries.” Judith still flinched when recalling Liza’s incessant use of that word, especially when requesting money at the same time. Years of dealing with Liza’s anger had consumed Judith’s life, leaving little time for the boys, who felt relieved after Liza left home. That was ten years ago.
“Mom, have you been in contact with Liza recently,” James asked when they finally connected.
Judith admitted she had been. Out of the blue, Liza texted her a while back after obtaining Judith’s new number from a family friend. There was never a day Judith didn’t wonder about her daughter. Against her better judgement, Judith responded, hoping time and maturity had softened Liza. Instead, Liza was usually angry, high, or both.
James sighed heavily.
“She saved all your texts, Mom, and now she’s using them against you.”
“What do you mean, James?”
“Her ‘auto-novel’ is being touted as a first of its kind because the latest AI, Dr. Know, is listed as the ‘co-author.’ Liza fed your carefully curated words to Dr. Know as prompts, which then analyzed the supposed meaning behind your words and determined you’re a monster.”
“What’s an auto-novel?” Judith was applying pressure to the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, as she always did when troubled about Liza.
“Mom, it’s an autobiographical novel. Liza alternates between excerpts of texts with you and using Dr. Know as some sort of pseudo therapist. Of course, she cherry picked all the passages that would cast you in a poor light while portraying herself as a martyr.”
Judith couldn’t imagine a scenario in which Liza could write an auto-novel. She had hated reading in school and rarely composed anything longer than an angry text.
“I’ve scanned the book, Mom. I couldn’t read it because it’s poorly written, self-serving drivel. Brace yourself. The internet is already exploding with comments, most of them in favor of Liza. No surprise, considering.”
“I need to call you back, James,” Judith said. Her head was already starting to throb. “There’s a delivery man at the door. He must want a signature.”
There was no return address on the package but Judith immediately recognized the photo on the cover of the book. It was one of herself holding Liza as a toddler in her lap. The messy handwritten inscription read: I wanted to understand you. I think you’ll find this fascinating. Much love, Liza.
Judith sat, face flushed and heart racing as she scanned Broken Boundaries. Gaslighting, narcissism, manipulation. Just a few of the damning descriptives Dr. Know used to condemn Judith.
Due to its novelty, the book did become an immediate bestseller and contained just enough truth without context to tar Judith’s reputation. Judith’s friends were divided on who and what to believe. The internet was less discriminating, and Judith was vilified on a regular basis. The character assassination lasted a year as Liza made all the usual rounds on chat shows and news interviews.
Throughout the ordeal, Judith never heard another word from Liza, but she developed a phobia about technology. Its ability to record. Retain. Retaliate. Her communications with everyone became stilted and inconsequential. It helped that a flurry of books from various grievance collectors soon followed, and people turned their attention to new witch hunts. But the damage was done.
Judith was expecting a friend for tea so when the doorbell rang, she opened the door with a welcoming smile on her face.
“Hello, Mother. Are you happy to see me?” Liza said as she brushed past Judith towards the living room.
Judith froze.