{"id":4328,"date":"2026-02-03T08:46:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T08:46:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328"},"modified":"2026-02-03T08:51:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T08:51:21","slug":"i-still-remember-my-daughter-in-laws-voice-cold-as-a-blade-mom-give-me-the-money-to-buy-my-brother-a-house-i-tried-to-stay-calm-ill-lend-it-bu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328","title":{"rendered":"I still remember my daughter-in-law\u2019s voice\u2014cold as a blade: \u201cMom, give me the money to buy my brother a house.\u201d I tried to stay calm. \u201cI\u2019ll lend it, but we\u2019ll put it in writing.\u201d She froze for a heartbeat, then her eyes went dark. \u201cA loan? You think my family is beneath you?\u201d The slap cracked like thunder. I fell, my ears ringing\u2026 and what shocked me most wasn\u2019t the pain\u2014it was my son. He just stood there, watching like I was a stranger. I clutched my cheek, trembling. \u201cYou\u2026 you saw everything, didn\u2019t you?\u201d He said nothing. And in that silence, I realized the house they wanted might be built on my son\u2019s betrayal. But that night, I heard one sentence behind the door\u2014and I knew this wasn\u2019t over."},"content":{"rendered":"

I still remember my daughter-in-law\u2019s voice\u2014cold as a blade: \u201cMom, give me the money to buy my brother a house.\u201d
My name is Linda Parker<\/strong>, and I\u2019ve never been the kind of mother-in-law who meddles. I kept my opinions to myself, I brought casseroles when they moved, and I babysat when they needed a break. I wanted peace more than I wanted to be right.<\/p>\n

That afternoon, Ashley<\/strong> sat at my kitchen table like she owned it. Her nails were perfect, her smile was thin, and she didn\u2019t ask\u2014she demanded. She said her younger brother, Tyler<\/strong>, \u201cfinally found a place,\u201d and that family should \u201cshow up\u201d when it mattered.<\/p>\n

I looked at her and tried to keep my voice steady. \u201cI can help, but I\u2019m not gifting that kind of money. I\u2019ll lend it, and we\u2019ll put it in writing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The air changed. Ashley\u2019s eyes narrowed like I\u2019d insulted her mother. \u201cA loan?\u201d she repeated, slow and sharp. \u201cSo you think my family is beneath you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d I said. \u201cI think grown adults can pay back what they borrow. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her chair scraped the floor. She stood up so fast it startled me. \u201cYou\u2019re always controlling,\u201d she snapped. \u201cYou don\u2019t trust me. You never have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before I could respond, the front door opened. My son, Ethan<\/strong>, walked in\u2014my only child, the boy I raised to say \u201cyes ma\u2019am\u201d and hold doors for strangers. He paused when he saw us, confused by the tension.<\/p>\n

Ashley turned toward him like she\u2019d been waiting. \u201cTell her,\u201d she said. \u201cTell her to give it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s eyes flicked to mine. I searched his face for something\u2014anything\u2014recognition, loyalty, a question. Instead, he stared at the floor like it might give him instructions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAshley,\u201d I tried again, softer. \u201cI\u2019m willing to help. But I need it documented. That\u2019s reasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her expression snapped. \u201cReasonable?\u201d she hissed. Then her hand flew.<\/p>\n

The slap was loud enough that I tasted metal. I stumbled back into the counter, my cheek burning, my heart hammering like it wanted out. I looked at Ethan\u2014waiting for him to move, to shout, to pull her away.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Ashley stepped closer, voice low and vicious. \u201cYou\u2019re going to regret humiliating me.\u201d
And then she leaned in and said something that made my blood run cold: \u201cIf you tell anyone, Ethan will make sure you lose everything.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Part 2<\/h2>\n

I didn\u2019t sleep that night. My cheek throbbed, but the pain that kept me awake wasn\u2019t physical\u2014it was the image of Ethan standing there like a statue. I replayed the moment over and over, wondering if I\u2019d raised a coward, or if something else was going on.<\/p>\n

The next morning I called him. \u201cEthan, come by. Alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

He arrived an hour later, shoulders slumped, eyes rimmed red like he hadn\u2019t slept either. The second he stepped inside, I said, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you stop her?\u201d<\/p>\n

He swallowed. \u201cMom\u2026 please don\u2019t make this worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWorse?\u201d I couldn\u2019t keep the disbelief out of my voice. \u201cYour wife hit me in my own home.\u201d<\/p>\n

He flinched, like I\u2019d slapped him with the words. \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo why did you just stand there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan stared at the wall behind me. \u201cBecause if I go against her, she\u2019ll destroy me,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

That sentence didn\u2019t sound like my son. It sounded like a hostage.<\/p>\n

I took a breath, forcing myself to slow down. \u201cWhat do you mean, \u2018destroy you\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

He hesitated, then pulled out his phone with shaking hands. He didn\u2019t hand it to me\u2014he just showed me the screen for a second before locking it again. But I saw enough: messages from Ashley, long and frantic. Words like court<\/em>, full custody<\/em>, your employer<\/em>, I have proof<\/em>.<\/p>\n

My stomach dropped. \u201cShe\u2019s threatening you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded once, barely. \u201cShe recorded me during an argument months ago. I said some stupid things. She keeps saying she\u2019ll send it to my boss. She says she\u2019ll tell the court I\u2019m unstable. She says she\u2019ll take Madison and I\u2019ll never see my daughter again.\u201d<\/p>\n

My hands went cold. Little Madison<\/strong> was four, all curls and questions, and Ethan loved her like air. \u201cEthan, this isn\u2019t normal,\u201d I said. \u201cThis is abuse.\u201d<\/p>\n

His jaw clenched. \u201cIf you call it that, she\u2019ll flip it. She always flips it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I walked to the living room window and watched the street like it might ground me. Then I turned back. \u201cDid she really say you\u2019d make sure I \u2018lose everything\u2019 if I talk?\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked down. \u201cShe did. And she wants the money for Tyler because he\u2019s in trouble. Big trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan exhaled hard. \u201cDebt. Gambling. Ashley already \u2018borrowed\u2019 from friends. Now they\u2019re coming to her. She thinks your money fixes it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I sat down slowly, my legs suddenly weak. This wasn\u2019t about a house. The house was a story. A clean lie to cover a dirty panic.<\/p>\n

I leaned forward, voice low. \u201cListen to me. I\u2019m not giving her a cent. But I am<\/em> going to help you. We\u2019re going to do this the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan finally looked at me, eyes glassy. \u201cYou don\u2019t understand, Mom. She watches everything. My email. My bank. She even\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The front door handle jiggled.<\/p>\n

We froze.<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s face went white. He whispered, \u201cShe has my location. She knows I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part 3<\/h2>\n

The knocking came next\u2014three sharp taps, like a judge\u2019s gavel. I stood up, heart pounding, and Ethan grabbed my wrist.<\/p>\n

\u201cMom, please,\u201d he said. \u201cIf she sees me here alone with you, she\u2019ll say I\u2019m conspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

I pulled my hand free, not harshly, but firmly. \u201cLet her say whatever she wants,\u201d I whispered back. \u201cTruth has a way of outlasting noise.\u201d<\/p>\n

When I opened the door, Ashley smiled like we were hosting a brunch. \u201cLinda,\u201d she said sweetly, eyes scanning past me. \u201cI was worried. Ethan wasn\u2019t answering.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan stepped into view, and her expression tightened for half a second\u2014just long enough to confirm what I already knew. She wasn\u2019t worried. She was tracking him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Ethan said, too quickly.<\/p>\n

Ashley walked in without being invited. She glanced at my cheek\u2014still faintly bruised\u2014and didn\u2019t even pretend to feel guilty. \u201cSo,\u201d she said, clapping her hands lightly, \u201cwe\u2019ve all cooled down. Are we ready to be reasonable now?\u201d<\/p>\n

I kept my voice level. \u201cI\u2019m not gifting money. If you want a loan, we do it legally. Promissory note. Payment schedule. And Tyler signs it, not you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her smile vanished. \u201cYou think you can embarrass my family with paperwork?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I can protect mine,\u201d I said. \u201cAnd I think you owe me an apology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashley\u2019s eyes flashed. \u201cApology?\u201d she repeated, laughing like it was insane. Then she turned to Ethan. \u201cTell her.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, Ethan didn\u2019t move. He looked at the floor\u2014his old hiding place. Then he looked up, and I saw a decision land behind his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The word was quiet, but it hit the room like a slap.<\/p>\n

Ashley stared at him. \u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s voice shook, but he didn\u2019t back up. \u201cYou hit my mom. You\u2019re not getting her money. And you\u2019re not threatening her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashley\u2019s face hardened into something frighteningly calm. \u201cIf you do this,\u201d she said softly, \u201cyou\u2019ll lose Madison.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan swallowed, then pulled his phone out and hit record. He held it between them like a shield. \u201cSay that again,\u201d he said. \u201cSay it clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashley\u2019s nostrils flared. She looked at me, then back at him, realizing the room had changed. The control she counted on\u2014his silence\u2014was gone.<\/p>\n

She spun toward the door. \u201cFine,\u201d she snapped. \u201cEnjoy your little alliance.\u201d Before leaving, she threw one last line over her shoulder: \u201cYou\u2019ll both regret this.\u201d<\/p>\n

After she left, Ethan\u2019s knees buckled and he sat down hard, breathing like he\u2019d run a mile. I didn\u2019t lecture him. I just sat beside him and said, \u201cWe\u2019re calling a lawyer. Today. And you\u2019re staying here tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded, tears finally slipping. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d I said. \u201cBut from now on, we don\u2019t survive this by staying quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever watched someone you love freeze under manipulation\u2014or if you\u2019ve been the one freezing\u2014what would you do next: document everything and go legal, or try counseling first for the child\u2019s sake?<\/strong> Tell me what you think, because I have a feeling I\u2019m not the only parent who\u2019s faced a silence that hurts more than a slap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I still remember my daughter-in-law\u2019s voice\u2014cold as a blade: \u201cMom, give me the money to buy my brother a house.\u201dMy name is Linda Parker, and I\u2019ve never been the kind of mother-in-law who meddles. I kept my opinions to myself, I brought casseroles when they moved, and I babysat when they needed a break. I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-life-new"],"yoast_head":"\nI still remember my daughter-in-law\u2019s voice\u2014cold as a blade: \u201cMom, give me the money to buy my brother a house.\u201d I tried to stay calm. \u201cI\u2019ll lend it, but we\u2019ll put it in writing.\u201d She froze for a heartbeat, then her eyes went dark. \u201cA loan? You think my family is beneath you?\u201d The slap cracked like thunder. I fell, my ears ringing\u2026 and what shocked me most wasn\u2019t the pain\u2014it was my son. He just stood there, watching like I was a stranger. I clutched my cheek, trembling. \u201cYou\u2026 you saw everything, didn\u2019t you?\u201d He said nothing. And in that silence, I realized the house they wanted might be built on my son\u2019s betrayal. But that night, I heard one sentence behind the door\u2014and I knew this wasn\u2019t over. - True Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"I still remember my daughter-in-law\u2019s voice\u2014cold as a blade: \u201cMom, give me the money to buy my brother a house.\u201d I tried to stay calm. \u201cI\u2019ll lend it, but we\u2019ll put it in writing.\u201d She froze for a heartbeat, then her eyes went dark. \u201cA loan? You think my family is beneath you?\u201d The slap cracked like thunder. I fell, my ears ringing\u2026 and what shocked me most wasn\u2019t the pain\u2014it was my son. He just stood there, watching like I was a stranger. I clutched my cheek, trembling. \u201cYou\u2026 you saw everything, didn\u2019t you?\u201d He said nothing. And in that silence, I realized the house they wanted might be built on my son\u2019s betrayal. But that night, I heard one sentence behind the door\u2014and I knew this wasn\u2019t over. - True Stories\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I still remember my daughter-in-law\u2019s voice\u2014cold as a blade: \u201cMom, give me the money to buy my brother a house.\u201dMy name is Linda Parker, and I\u2019ve never been the kind of mother-in-law who meddles. I kept my opinions to myself, I brought casseroles when they moved, and I babysat when they needed a break. 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You think my family is beneath you?\u201d The slap cracked like thunder. I fell, my ears ringing\u2026 and what shocked me most wasn\u2019t the pain\u2014it was my son. He just stood there, watching like I was a stranger. I clutched my cheek, trembling. \u201cYou\u2026 you saw everything, didn\u2019t you?\u201d He said nothing. And in that silence, I realized the house they wanted might be built on my son\u2019s betrayal. 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You think my family is beneath you?\u201d The slap cracked like thunder. I fell, my ears ringing\u2026 and what shocked me most wasn\u2019t the pain\u2014it was my son. He just stood there, watching like I was a stranger. I clutched my cheek, trembling. \u201cYou\u2026 you saw everything, didn\u2019t you?\u201d He said nothing. And in that silence, I realized the house they wanted might be built on my son\u2019s betrayal. But that night, I heard one sentence behind the door\u2014and I knew this wasn\u2019t over. - True Stories","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"I still remember my daughter-in-law\u2019s voice\u2014cold as a blade: \u201cMom, give me the money to buy my brother a house.\u201d I tried to stay calm. \u201cI\u2019ll lend it, but we\u2019ll put it in writing.\u201d She froze for a heartbeat, then her eyes went dark. \u201cA loan? You think my family is beneath you?\u201d The slap cracked like thunder. I fell, my ears ringing\u2026 and what shocked me most wasn\u2019t the pain\u2014it was my son. He just stood there, watching like I was a stranger. I clutched my cheek, trembling. \u201cYou\u2026 you saw everything, didn\u2019t you?\u201d He said nothing. And in that silence, I realized the house they wanted might be built on my son\u2019s betrayal. But that night, I heard one sentence behind the door\u2014and I knew this wasn\u2019t over. - True Stories","og_description":"I still remember my daughter-in-law\u2019s voice\u2014cold as a blade: \u201cMom, give me the money to buy my brother a house.\u201dMy name is Linda Parker, and I\u2019ve never been the kind of mother-in-law who meddles. I kept my opinions to myself, I brought casseroles when they moved, and I babysat when they needed a break. I […]","og_url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328","og_site_name":"True Stories","article_published_time":"2026-02-03T08:46:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-03T08:51:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":558,"height":1000,"url":"http:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Ultrarealistic_cinematic_still_2k_20260203.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"true love","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"true love","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328","url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328","name":"I still remember my daughter-in-law\u2019s voice\u2014cold as a blade: \u201cMom, give me the money to buy my brother a house.\u201d I tried to stay calm. \u201cI\u2019ll lend it, but we\u2019ll put it in writing.\u201d She froze for a heartbeat, then her eyes went dark. \u201cA loan? You think my family is beneath you?\u201d The slap cracked like thunder. I fell, my ears ringing\u2026 and what shocked me most wasn\u2019t the pain\u2014it was my son. He just stood there, watching like I was a stranger. I clutched my cheek, trembling. \u201cYou\u2026 you saw everything, didn\u2019t you?\u201d He said nothing. And in that silence, I realized the house they wanted might be built on my son\u2019s betrayal. But that night, I heard one sentence behind the door\u2014and I knew this wasn\u2019t over. - True Stories","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Ultrarealistic_cinematic_still_2k_20260203.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-02-03T08:46:51+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-03T08:51:21+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#\/schema\/person\/5c3397997033ec1244d0e345888afa8e"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Ultrarealistic_cinematic_still_2k_20260203.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Ultrarealistic_cinematic_still_2k_20260203.jpeg","width":558,"height":1000},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=4328#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"I still remember my daughter-in-law\u2019s voice\u2014cold as a blade: \u201cMom, give me the money to buy my brother a house.\u201d I tried to stay calm. \u201cI\u2019ll lend it, but we\u2019ll put it in writing.\u201d She froze for a heartbeat, then her eyes went dark. \u201cA loan? You think my family is beneath you?\u201d The slap cracked like thunder. I fell, my ears ringing\u2026 and what shocked me most wasn\u2019t the pain\u2014it was my son. He just stood there, watching like I was a stranger. I clutched my cheek, trembling. \u201cYou\u2026 you saw everything, didn\u2019t you?\u201d He said nothing. And in that silence, I realized the house they wanted might be built on my son\u2019s betrayal. But that night, I heard one sentence behind the door\u2014and I knew this wasn\u2019t over."}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/","name":"True Stories","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#\/schema\/person\/5c3397997033ec1244d0e345888afa8e","name":"true love","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7edec003db6c2d994c618a5c9257e4836d0823076211ef1f440ea5b2dfb07eb1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7edec003db6c2d994c618a5c9257e4836d0823076211ef1f440ea5b2dfb07eb1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"true love"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org"],"url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?author=2"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4328"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4334,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4328\/revisions\/4334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}