I think this “story” has hit me hard because my Mother was a grandiose narcissist and told a horrible lie about my Father (nothing to do with child sex abuse). I absolutely adored him and we were very close. She knew I would defend her and I was estranged from him for 7 years. She insisted on taking out a legal injunction against him and repeated the lie to a solicitor - I was heartbroken. I wrote to him regularly sending cash, cards, books and music I knew he would love but other than that there was no contact. I found it too painful to see or speak to him. When the lie my Mother had told became problematic for her, she played the whole thing down and said we should “forgive and forget”. I saw him twice before he died in 2007. My Mother died of dementia in 2024 and was completely silent for the last 3 years of her life. She was in a care home due to her complex needs and I would often say to her “Mum please say something” and she would look at me and would whisper “I’ve got nothing to say to you”. I visited her 3 times a week, did her washing, set her hair in rollers, and painted her nails. A few months before she died I asked “you lied about Dad didn’t you?” and she nodded her head. I asked her why… she replied “I had to tell you something bad because I wanted him out of my life” and shrugged her shoulders. Narcissists will say anything to achieve their goal, no matter who gets hurt…