So, on the last episode of "Step Hell," SSociopath had run off into the sunset with his BFF...er, BM...and left a CPS investigation in his wake.

It was early January before anyone contacted us after the initial letter stating that we were being investigated. The worker came to our house to interview us. Fortunately, she had been with CPS for over ten years and had a lot of experience with allegations made by disgruntled BMs. She was very open and honest with us, and very easygoing. When she asked me my profession and I told her I was a licensed social worker, she asked my opinion of what was going on. I told her I thought it was PAS, plain and simple. She agreed. Unfortunately, PAS isn't considered abuse. She then asked if I thought BM had a mental health diagnosis that I knew of. I told her BPD. She agreed that BM is textbook BPD. (Unfortunately, as far as we know, nothing is being done about the PAS or the fact that she has an untreated mental illness that's affecting her kids. I'm sure we wouldn't be told unless CPS launched an investigation against her; then they'd have to alert DH since he still has joint legal custody of SS16). But we don't care anyway. She is who she is, SSOciopath is who he is, and they aren't going to change. Just leave us the hell alone.

Anyway, this CPS worker told us that when she went to the school to interview SSociopath the day the report was called in, he told her the same thing he's told DH: "I fear for my health and safety." He wasn't able to say why or provide any other details. He basically sat there and stammered, going, "Uuuuuhhh....errr....uuuuuhhhhhh..." the whole time. (Why? Because BM hadn't had time to coach him and tell him exactly what to say!) A few weeks later, when they were interviewed at the house, after they had more time to work out the exact script, this is what they alleged:

1. We did not allow SSociopath to do homework.
2. We made SSociopath stay up all night as punishment.
3. We locked SSociopath out of the house in the middle of winter as punishment.
4. I screamed in SS's face, as he was afraid for his life.
5. We made SSociopath write lines for hours as punishment.
6. We regularly made SS go without food as punishment.

Yeah. Okay. Our counters:

1. Who doesn't allow kids to do homework? We couldn't MAKE SS do homework.
2. SS went to bed between 9 and 9:30 on school nights. If he was up all night, it was because he was on the phone with BM.
3. We never locked SS out of the house. There were two days that winter when no one was home when SS got home. (I'm usually home first.) He doesn't have a house key because we can't trust him not to give it to BM to make a copy. So he waited outside those two days. It was maybe 20-30 degrees. He waited 15-20 minutes each time. And why was he cold? He REFUSED to wear a coat to school, and changed into shorts once he got there. It was HIS CHOICE to wear shorts and no coat in the winter. He was 15, for crying out loud.
4. Anyone who knows me knows that I have never screamed at anyone. I'm not a screamer. Have I raised my voice? Sure. But I have never screamed in anyone's face, including SS's.
5. Yes, SS wrote lines for punishment. It's the only punishment that ever had any effect, and even that was minimal. He would be given 50 lines, which is not a lot. If he chose to sit there with his arms crossed in passive-aggressive defiance so it took him hours to finish it, that was on him.
6. We don't feed the kid? REALLY? Look at him! He's overweight. He's always been overweight. The kid would refuse meals at our house if he knew I cooked that last month or so when the PAS was escalating, but that was his choice. If he ate PBandJ every night for dinner, his choice. He was 15 years old. He knows how to fix himself an alternate meal.

The CPS worker found the allegations laughable. She said at the interview that she knew they were made up. When she interviewed SSociopath, she said he kept looking at BM, as if to get confirmation that he was saying the right thing.

So, that's that. Hopefully that's the last we hear of BM, at least for a good long while. She can keep her socially disabled, emotionally crippled, mentally fucked, lying brat all to herself.