My summer internship was everything: a path to my dream career in marketing, years of hard work finally paying off.
Then my parents dropped a bombshell. My estranged rockstar uncle was gravely ill, and I, his favorite niece, had been chosen to be his full-time caregiver.
They spun a tale of liver problems, but a glowing blue text only I could see whispered a darker truth:  "They' re not worried about his health, they' re worried about his royalties. Rick' s music just got licensed for a huge movie. They want to make sure they' re in his will." 
  My refusal was met with a cold, hard slap across the face, and the devastating news:  "It' s done, Chloe. There' s no internship to go back to." 
They' d sabotaged my future, then casually explained:  "We' ve already made the arrangements." 
The email from my dream firm confirmed it:  "rescind our internship offer...wish you the best in your recovery." 
Recovery? What were they talking about?
They took my ID, my money, my car keys. Then I overheard my mother' s chilling words:  "Rick' s viral load is extremely high... a little contact... a shared utensil... a simple solution. Once she' s sick too, she' ll have no choice but to be quiet." 
My own mother was planning to infect me with HIV.
I bolted, running into the night, only to find my father' s mistress and instigate a chaotic scene, creating my escape.
But they weren' t done.
A viral video appeared, featuring my tearful parents.  "Our daughter, Chloe, is very sick,"  my father stated,  "She contracted HIV through a promiscuous lifestyle... she developed a severe gambling addiction. She stole all of our savings..." 
Hatred flooded the comments. My name, reputation, and future were completely destroyed.
Who would believe me over my grieving, concerned parents?
I was utterly alone, but one thought burned through my despair: they wouldn' t get away with this.