01x03 - Part III: Reap What You Sow

[bunniefuu]

[alert on cell phone]

[Priscylla over speaker] I just texted
everyone the photo of Robert's car.

There's also a black Porsche Cayenne
that's gonna be coming out.

There's also a green Mercedes
that's gonna be coming out.

You know, we'll just go with
whichever one we get first.

Never in a million years did we ever think
we could've been able to do this.

[Priscylla] When somebody comes,
you know which direction they're going.

You just need to book it.

[suspenseful music playing]

I want Robert to know...
that I can find him.

I want him to be scared.

I want him to stress.

I want him to know
I'm not the same person.

I don't want him to think,

"She's still that weak,
submissive, obedient, afraid person."

I want him to know, I will do this,
even if it's the last thing that I do.

[mysterious music playing]

[music fades]

[Melanie L.] Priscylla said to me,
"I want to sue Robert."

My initial response was, "slow down,

because you have no idea
what it takes to sue somebody."

It's really hard to take legal action
against cults because...

it's not ill*gal to run a cult
or to be a member of a cult.

The...

The way you take action
against a cult leader is, um,

if they are committing crimes
within their cult.

[contemplative music playing]

You have to find something
like financial misconduct

because the act of

controlling someone's daily life
is not a crime.

[Melanie L.] My sister started
showing me the evidence that she had.

The bank statements, the canceled checks.

And we decided to share our experience
with the dancers

because they experienced similar things.

- Do you have a copy of bank statements?
- Yeah!

- Yeah? Can you... Can you open it?
- I got all of it! Come on, now.

[Melanie L.]
This is like the Shekinah trend.

- They'll give you, let's say, $100,000.
- [Aubrey] Mm.

[Melanie L.] They'll put it
in your bank account.

- Then they'll take money out of it...
- Mm.

...and then say, "Okay, now
you're gifting Shekinah Church..."

- [Aubrey] Mm. Mm-hm.
- "...all this money."

[Melanie L.] So if they're saying
they paid you 102,000,

my goal is to figure out
how much of this you gave to Shekinah,

how much of this
you paid rent to Shekinah...

[Aubrey] Mm-hm.

...how much of this you paid Hannah, Isaiah,

- all that.
- [scoffs] Aw, man.

That's like all my money, basically.

- Okay, so...
- You got...

'Cause I had to pay photography fee
for either RainO or Isaiah,

then I also had to pay rent,

20% management fee,
which you have to give to 7M.

Then you have ten, ten, ten,

which is tithes, offering, and Man of God.

[Melanie L.] 30% to the church?

More than that sometimes.

Sometimes I would give
like 50% of my income.

[Melanie L.] Okay.

[Aubrey] With everything combined,
rounding up, you're giving 60 to 70%.

And that's before taxes.

[Melanie L.] They're making it
like you're paying separate entities,

but you're not.

It's all going to Robert.

[contemplative music fades]

Yeah.

We'll have to add this to the lawsuit.

- We got in contact with Priscylla.
- [contemplative music playing]

She actually came over,
we were on this couch. [chuckles]

We sat and listened to her
say this stuff for two and a half hours,

break down and cry.

[Aubrey] When she shared her story,
it broke me.

It made me so mad
to where I wanted to do some damage.

I wanted to... I was like, "They don't
know who they're messing with, bro."

That was the first time
that we were hearing all of this.

And we were just like,

"How were we a small group
in a small church,

but had no clue
that something like this was going on?"

Just the money thing alone,
I'm like, "Okay, bro. Now, I see."

She had told us that she,
you know, had a lawyer,

she wanted to start a lawsuit against him,

and it was up to us
if we wanted to join or not.

We knew this was gonna be
a long process. Um, like, years.

I want to join this case, for sure.

He's gonna do it to somebody else.

I can't let this man win.

[Priscylla] And then Robert sued us.

When he heard we were trying to sue him,
he sued me first.

That pissed me off.

[contemplative music continues]

The legal process
is very impersonal. [chuckles]

But for me, this is very personal.

It's as if Robert's sitting in front
of me, like you and I right now.

I'm looking at his face,
I'll be like, "I'm gonna beat you."

If you asked me
what I believe justice would be,

I want Robert to lose
every dollar that he has.

Down to the penny.

Because that's all Robert cares about.

[woman 1]...but if David shows up,
you're gonna give him...

[woman 2] Okay.

- [woman 1] Robert and Isaiah.
- [woman 2] It's David.

[Andrea] So if someone sues you,
you have to get served papers.

You can serve someone with a lawsuit
by hiring a company

who will track them down
and give them the paperwork,

but that can take months.

[Priscylla] This is my lawsuit.

I'm going after him.

I'm not gonna leave it up to other people.

But Melanie and I couldn't serve them
because we're part of the lawsuit.

So Melanie got her friends to help us.

You guys name the name and drop it.
They don't need to take it.

- [Kristin] Call their name and fling it?
- That's fine.

- That's it. Let's go.
- Okay.

[contemplative music continues]

Oh my gosh,
it's gonna be happening in 30 minutes.

Insane.

[Priscylla] Melanie, your Tesla's butt
is sticking out like a sore thumb.

I can see it from here.

Like three people might see your face
before you get to follow somebody.

[Melanie L.] I'll scoot it to the right.

[music stops]

- Okay.
- [car beeping]

Okay, is that good?

Not really, but I should tell her it is.

Yeah, that's fine.

I'll let everybody know as soon
as the gate opens for the first time

so everybody's engines can be on,
and you guys are ready to go.

[mysterious music playing]

It feels so weird
coming to a place that was my home.

It really felt like it was my home.
I thought I was gonna live here forever.

I thought I was gonna be in that bedroom
in that white house until Jesus came.

Like I was gonna be stuck in that room
for the rest of my life.

[music swelling]

[Priscylla] Robert's coming out!

Okay, copy.

[whispering] My mask.

Oh my God. My heart's pounding.

sh*t. Robert made a right at...
Hattie, that's on you.

Robert made a right! Hattie!

[Hattie] Yep. Copy, copy.

[Priscylla] Kristin, where are you?

[Kristin] He just ran a red light,
so I'm trying to catch up right now.

[Hattie] I think I see him.

[mysterious music continues]

Robert pulled into a Korean restaurant.

[Priscylla] There they are.

[Melanie L.]
Okay, all of them are going in.

[Priscylla] All right.

Oh, sh*t.

Where's Robert?

- [people chattering]
- [mysterious music fades]

- [David] Robert Shinn, you've been served.
- Okay. Thank you.

- Matthew Shinn, you've been served.
- [David] Are you Isaiah?

- [indistinct]
- [David] You'll be served too.

Have a nice day.

- Look at us for our first time serving!
- That was awesome.

Look at this team.
Everybody just showing up like this.

That was very effective.

- [David] Sign me up for next time.
- You want... You want to do it again?

- [Kristin] Yeah.
- [David] Yeah.

- [laughing]
- [David] I'm the undercover white guy!

- I'm perfect!
- [Melanie L.] Let's serve women now.

[indistinct chatter]

[mysterious music playing]

You know, it's weird.

I feel bad for them.

I don't know.

Maybe because for so many years
I tried to protect them.

And I made it my job to protect them.

I devoted my life to protect them.

I don't feel bad that I'm suing them,
because it's justice, but...

I guess the human part of it.

Like you still wish it wasn't this way.

The people bringing claims
against Robert Shinn

are in for a long legal battle.

[music fades]

And I would like to say that
it's all gonna fall apart relatively soon.

History has shown, however,
that this group can be hard to dismantle.

[mysterious music playing]

[Melanie L.] Only one other person
attempted to sue Robert.

And she lost.

[reporter] Back in 2009,

Pastor Shinn was sued by
former member of the church, Lydia Chung.

And she sued Robert
for stealing, brainwashing,

and completely cutting her off
from her family.

Why does that...
Why does that sound familiar?

[Andrea] The judge said it looked like
there was psychological manipulation,

but also said that,
"My hands are off this because of

the protection of the First Amendment
for religious organizations."

Full-grown adults
who are deciding to join a group

and buy into their ideology,

whether that group
has a creeping, growing control

over their lives and their mind,
is not of legal concern.

[woman] So, psychological manipulation,
coercion, extortion...

[Melanie W.] This lawsuit, I think it's
a step in the right direction, absolutely,

but I think there needs to be more.

My sister will not come back
unless Robert is put behind bars.

[mysterious music continues]

[Andrea] A lawsuit
doesn't necessarily stop Robert

from doing what he's been doing.

They would need a criminal case for him
to potentially serve any jail time.

What would the police department
need from us to bring a criminal case?

[officer] You'll have to make
all these victims,

all these other kids that leave,
come with you to the station,

say, "I want to file
a sexual as*ault charge,"

where they're gonna name, uh, the suspect,

"Uh, Robert did this,
did this, did this to me,"

comma, they're gonna mention,

"And I know there's other victims there.
They are unable to speak for themselves."

[Kelly] That's good.

[officer] Every person that you know
needs to file whatever charges they have.

Sexual coercion,
r*pe, every little detail.

[Melanie W.] We know women that have
gone through situations with Robert.

We need to start contacting them

and see if they would be willing to file
a police report, and share their story.

[mysterious music continues]

We are really wanting them
to open up a criminal case against him.

[woman] Mm-hm.

[Kelly] And we need people

that can be able
to report firsthand experience.

[music stops]

[woman] Right.

I definitely want him to have to pay
for what he's done.

But, honestly, I worry a little bit
about Robert and his retaliation.

- Right.
- Right, and if, again...

And we understand totally
that it's gotta be hard to talk about it.

[woman] Yeah.

[mysterious music resumes]

So, the way that they make it seem,

was that it's an honor in that church
to get to spend time with him.

I knew that certain people
closer to him would massage him.

So if you're asked, "Can you..."

If you get to massage him, you're like,
"Oh, wow, this is a privilege."

So you... you did what you were told.

You obey, because you thought,

"If I obey the Man of God,
I'm obeying God."

- [Kelly] Mm-hm.
- But when I got there, he would say,

"Change, take off your bra.
Put on this shirt."

And I'm like, "Hmm, no, I'm okay.
I don't need to take my bra off."

- You know? Like, "I'm fine."
- [Kelly] Yeah.

He kept insisting, but I'd just refuse.

But...

Yeah, he had me blindfold myself,
and he had me massage him.

But when I went to massage him,
he had nothing on.

And when it came down to it,
he wanted me to massage his, uh,

privates.

Yeah, so...

Yeah, and when we left,

we were told
not to talk about this with anybody.

Not even each other.

Yeah.

[music becomes contemplative]

[Kylie] As a Man of God,

I wasn't thinking that he would ever
do anything wrong to me or someone.

Boom. Left it alone.

But, then, after so many times
of seeing the accusations,

it actually brought me to realize

that I was in a situation
like those other women.

Robert and a bunch of the dancers
were at the gym,

and I was having like a bad back pain.

I was explaining to him,
"This is my back problem I'm having."

We believed that him as a Man of God
could heal things.

I thought maybe
he'll pray for me, or something.

But instead, he was like,
"Oh, I can crack your back for you."

And me just thinking
nothing wrong of that, "Okay, cool."

So we go outside,
and he goes to crack my back,

and it definitely did not feel like he
was intentionally trying to crack my back.

It felt like he was trying to,
um, feel all of my body.

I felt like, "Oh, this is kind of weird."

"But he would never do anything like that,
it was probably just an awkward moment."

"He's a Man of God."

- [Robert] I'm a doctor, you know? Ooh.
- [people chattering]

Naked body. Oh, come on.
You know, it's like...

[contemplative music fades]

- [Robert] Praise the Lord.
- [people] Praise the Lord.

[Robert] Praise the Lord.
God has no problems with nakedness.

- [man] Right.
- [person] Whoo-hoo!

[Kylie] We had seen Miranda, I was like,
"I miss you. Let's get coffee."

But when I went to hug Miranda,
she was crying.

- She started to break down crying.
- Really?

And then obviously I was crying,
because this is my friend.

- Right.
- And it made me sad.

So I was crying too, and then we
walked away from each other just crying.

But I was like,
"Is that, like, a sign? Is she..."

"Did she really just miss me
and break down,

or was it, like...
trying to tell me something?"

[ethereal music playing]

I do still have people I love in there.

I think that's something else
that sparks why I feel so sad.

[voice wavering] It's definitely because

I have friends in there that I love.

I was thinking about, "What if another
young Kylie goes into the church,

and then he tries
to do things like that to her?"

If I stand my ground
and go in and file a report,

then I could be helping that next person
that's going in there, the next victim.

But if I stay quiet
just because it hurts to talk about it,

who's that helping?

[ethereal music fades]

When I went in to tell the story,

I started by telling them
at the front desk.

They were like,
"Okay, we need to go into a room."

[ethereal music resumes]

They're like, "We need more detail."

"We need you to go into full detail."

And they would ask, like, crazy questions.

There's just so many eyes on me.
It's an uncomfortable thing to talk about.

And they keep bringing in
a bunch of different police officers.

Then they're like,
"Why are you just now coming forward?"

"What other information do you have?"

It makes me feel like
I did something wrong

when really I'm the victim.

It's hard on your mind, on your heart.

It's hard.

[music stops]

He's like,
"I see your case here and it is filed,

but we need something more to have
happened in order to go arrest him."

He was like, "Bring in a few more women,
and I will go get him."

Like, they have to come to that location,
and it has to be in person.

We were told that...

[chuckles] This is so ridiculous.

...that we needed,
they needed more women to come

forward in order for him to get arrested
for any kind of sexual as*ault.

Which I thought was the most
ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

One is not enough.

[Migdalia] One person,
one woman is not enough.

If you have two or three women,

then we can put together a case.

[contemplative music playing]

[woman] They asked me,
"Why did I come out now?"

I said, "Because he's still
doing this to people."

"And so I want to help make the case
to try and get him to be stopped."

"You know, try and build the case."
So, um, thank you, guys. Thank you, guys.

Because I would have never really thought
that there was something that I could do.

- So, thank you, guys.
- [Kelly] Wow. Wow.

Unfortunately, they said the way it works
is that it does go to the DA,

and the DA is the one who will
make, like, the decision to move forward.

[Kelly] Yeah, and we know we need
to get other women to come forward.

- [woman] Yeah.
- [contemplative music stops]

You're out, and now I'm sure
you just want to live your life,

and not have to keep revisiting this,

but do you have any ideas
on filing a police report?

Maybe sharing some of the things
you've been through?

[contemplative music resumes]

I feel like we've reached a point where
it's like... we don't know what else to do.

I see... the effort of your parents,
and you, and other people,

and... I've been asked
to file a police report multiple times.

I didn't because, one, it's not pleasant,

but more importantly I haven't done it
because I felt like

it wouldn't go anywhere,
it wouldn't get anywhere.

How many times do I have to tell people
about what I went through?

I'm not proud of it.

To sit there and, randomly,
two police officers,

one, or two, or three, just random,
whoever's there, whoever's available.

"Sure, next."

"Okay, let's go in.
Tell me what happened to you."

For me to put myself out there, again,

for something
that will not give me a return,

why would I want to do that?

It's easier to just forget it
and walk away.

- One, two, three!
- [contemplative music continues]

- Whoo!
- [giggling]

Hip, hip, hooray!

Give me high five! Yes!

[excited squealing]

She initially started out by saying that...

she's too busy these days
to help take care of Devyn, my daughter.

You wanna sit here?

Then when I started pinning her down,
saying, "That doesn't make sense,"

I quickly realized, for whatever reason,

she wants to spend less time in our lives,

and I just kind of felt like

the fact that she wasn't
around the last seven, eight years...

Like, as my sister,

I would think
she would want to make up for lost time

'cause that's what I want to do.

Like, I want to make up for lost time.

But I don't think we're on the same track.

[music fades]

I asked you, when I left Shekinah,
to come with me,

and you said, "No, I'm gonna stay."

And that was like...

It goes down in my books as one of the...

one of the moments
where my heart was, like, truly broken.

Because I had no...

I knew, if I leave you there,
I didn't know when I was gonna see you.

It took me a while,
but I accepted the fact that

I have to move on, and build my life...

and put myself in the position
to be able to help you

for when you decide to leave.

So every time
we moved from house to house,

- I insisted to David we have a guest room.
- Mm.

But once you came out,
I really had to think about,

"What's the best way to support her?"

I remember the struggles
that I had when I left,

and I know exactly what you're
going through mentally, emotionally.

I'm here to support you, but I don't know
how to support you if you don't tell me.

- I'm happy to talk about it, but...
- I just need space.

Well, all I'm asking, this is just like...

You're asking me
to do something for you that I can't do.

I don't want you to get upset
because I don't do it.

No, but what I need
in order to have a relationship with you,

is basic level of communication.

Basic? Basic.

Like, for example, for Devyn's birthday,

when you said, "Okay, yeah,
I might be able to help you set up early,"

and then you showed up later,
after it started.

All I wish is that
if you had told me during the party,

like, "I was late because da-da-da-da-da..."

Why do I need to address why I'm late?

Because everyone that showed up late
came to me and said, "Sorry I'm late."

Like, if I'm late to something...

It's a party.

Yeah, but it's Devyn's birthday.

- It's not a random party.
- I'm gonna... Okay, all right, I get it.

I think that you are
expecting me to be normal.

"All my friends do this.
Why can't you do it?"

I'm not all your friends.

I am a dysfunctional sister.

To you, it's like, "It's common sense."

"It's Devyn's birthday.
She's my daughter. You're her aunt."

To you, it's common sense.

So I'm having internal issue,
and you think it's about you.

It's not about you. Do...

"How can you not? She's my daughter?"

[voice wavering]
I don't know what that means. [sniffling]

[sobbing] I don't know what it means
to care about a child!

How can you get mad at me? [sniffling]

Look at me, Melanie!

How can you put that burden on me?

I told you, every day I wanted to die,

and you want me to f*cking be on time
with your daughter's birthday party?

Say, "I'm sorry because I'm late"?

I either show up or I k*ll myself,
which one do you want me to do?

I wish I could have a baby.

[moody music playing]

Like, be pregnant.

I tell myself, "It's okay."

"It's not that important."

There's just so many "what ifs," right?

I could have had four kids by now.

I see pictures of myself in my 20s.

I'm like...

[voice wavering] "That was 20 years ago."

Like, "What did I do..."

"What did I do for 20 years?"

I lost the best years of my life,

so Robert could enjoy his.

[moody music continues]

[sighs]

[Aubrey] Being in Shekinah
messed me up mentally.

My passion, my dedication...

my drive for what I've been wanting to do...

I lost a lot of heart.

If I can't give my all to myself,
how can I give my all to somebody else?

[Kylie] We're both two lost people.

We just went through
traumatic experiences.

But since the breakup,
it's just a huge change.

Going from being with someone
for almost five years

to, like, being by yourself.

[sniffling]

[voice wavering] I think that's why it
took me so long to leave Shekinah, because

letting go of things you love is hard.

[Konkrete] My ambition,

my drive for dancing...

that sh*t is gone.

I don't want to dance no more.

What the f*ck happened to me?

I went in for spiritual guidance,

but I left with church
being tainted to me now.

It's tainted, like, bad-bad.

[Priscylla] It was really,
really difficult to accept the fact that

I let them do that to me.

After leaving Shekinah,

I cut all my ties
with all the junk of the past.

[moody music continues]

But I think I had to face it.

- [cell phone ringing]
- Very needed to heal.

[man in Korean] Hello?

- [in Korean] Hello.
- [man] Jung-min, is that you?

Yes, Dad. It's Jung-min.

[dad in English] How are you?

[in Korean] I'm doing well. How are you?

[Priscylla in English]
I think if I talk to my dad,

I'll be able to figure that out.

- [in Korean] Did you get out last year?
- What do you mean, "I got out last year"?

[music fades]

- You joined a place and then you got out.
- I left last year.

I thought it was a church at first,
but it turned out to be a cult.

I tried to call you for so many years.

I know.

You're my daughter.
There's no accepting or not-accepting.

I wouldn't call myself your daughter.

If I'm being honest with you.

You have to raise someone
to call them your daughter, right?

I'm not saying
that Mom wasn't to blame either.

If one of you hadn't abandoned us,
we wouldn't have ended up in that church.

So, that was your fault.

I really hope that,
deep in your soul, you feel ashamed.

- About what you did.
- I am ashamed.

It doesn't seem like it.

Because after I left the cult,
I felt very ashamed of myself.

What? Am I mentally deficient?

I'm not... I'm not an idiot.

I'm a rather smart and responsible person.

I'm a decent person in a number of ways.

How could I stay in a place

with a horrible person,
thinking God was in him?

- How long were you there for?
- Twenty-three years.

- Huh?
- Twenty-three years.

- When I think about it...
- You were in the cult for 23 years?

Yes!

So, when I think about it...

- I thought you were there five years...
- No.

So, when I think about it...
Listen to what I'm telling you.

When I had my realization,
I had deep regret.

I was so ashamed of myself.

And I didn't want to forgive myself,
to the point that I even wanted to die.

And because I am alive, I can move forward
and leave the past behind.

But just because I moved on,

it doesn't mean you weren't at fault.

- Don't you think so?
- The reason for...

- Think about it.
- I know, but the reason...

Don't touch me!

Don't touch me!

[in English] With my parents,
it was a child and an adult,

and they had the power over us.

Hence, they treated us really badly.

And then I was in Shekinah,

where definitely it was
a huge gap of seniority and power.

And today is, you know,
the first time in my life where I'm going,

"No, I'm an adult."

"And I'm thinking like an adult,

and I'm judging people
by them being adults,

not as a child looking up to an adult."

[contemplative music playing]

And so it's like I took my power back.

His name is Robert Shinn.
He's, um... a pastor of a church.

And I'm an additional person coming to...

- [officer] Additional victim of a crime?
- Yes, to...

[officer] What crime?

[Priscylla] So, for me,
if I tell you my story,

I think it's called r*pe,
continuously for years.

Beating.

I want Robert to never
be able to do this ever again.

That's the level of justice
that I'm asking.

And I know that God will bring justice.

[contemplative music fades]

[Kylie chattering]

I'm a diva! I'm a...

Hip, and a hip.
Yeah, and then show me the level...

[Kylie] I'll still have crying moments,
and down moments, but I'm also realizing

I have to make sure
I'm getting on that path of healing.

I started working at a school
for the performing arts programs,

and then the kids wanted more,

and wanted
to take their dancing to another level.

I love creating a safe space for dancers
to be able to let everything out.

["Never Back"
by Francis and the Lights playing]

[Konkrete] I realized that, physically,

it's just not healthy
for me to hold on to things.

"This is what it is.
Where can I go from here?"

♪ But I wish there was something ♪

♪ That I could do ♪

I said, "You know what?
Let me get back to the love of it."

♪ No, you'll never go back in... ♪

♪ Time ♪

[Aubrey] It's so much to work on yourself.

Trying to figure out what
you want in life, what you need to do,

what you have to do in life.

Hornet, can you go in front of Beast?

[Aubrey] I'm trying to do everything
that I know I am capable of doing,

know that I have a gift of doing.

Five, six, seven, eight! Boom!

♪ No, you'll never go back in... ♪

♪ Time ♪

♪ Why you think so ♪

♪ No, you'll never go back in... ♪

- [Kelly] We've waited a long, long time.
- ♪ Time ♪

But let's hope that Robert
could be arrested very soon.

[Melanie W.] She hasn't been here in

a couple years,
which to us is a very long time.

[chuckles]

Seeing her closet
and just kind of... old clothes

that she's left here is...

I don't know. It hasn't been touched.

Like, there's no life in here.

Hasn't been for a while.

So it's just a little,
I don't know, a little eerie.

♪ No, you'll never go back in... ♪

♪ Time ♪

["Never Back" fades out]

The police told us

that they only needed
a few more women to step forward,

and give their stories,

and they would be able to go
and arrest Robert right then and there.

But Robert is still not arrested.

[Kylie] I've gone in multiple times.
I've been in two or three times now.

You have to have so much on someone
for an investigation to even start.

[mysterious music playing]

It can be hard to get
a conviction on a sex crime because

it's often one person's word
against another person's word.

In a case where you're trying to prove
that someone did something

'cause they didn't want to,

then you're talking about,
"What does coercion look like?"

"How do we define coercion?"

Doesn't seem like, societally,
we have figured out a way

to keep it from
turning into an attack on the victim.

Do we not take sexual as*ault seriously?

It's either a crime or it isn't.

[Robert] People are gonna see it,
and read it, but it's gonna be silence.

- It'll be useless.
- [people chatter]

Why? Because the Lord declared it.
And that's it.

- [person 1] That's it!
- [person 2] It is!

[Robert] Every voice raised up
to accuse you,

every voice will be silenced.

[mysterious music builds to a cl*max]

[music stops]

[liquid gurgling]

- [Kelly] Oh, yeah!
- [Melanie W.] Here it is.

- [cell phone vibrates]
- [Kelly] Ta-da!

[lively music playing]

[alert on cell phone]

I do love that ornament of Michigan.

[indistinct chatter]

Oh my gosh! What is it?

- Is it something I've always wanted?
- [Melanie W.] Yes.

[Kelly] Talking about
this blizzard coming through...

I was thinking we could say, "Are you sure
you don't want to stay here?"

Which could be amazing.

I really just want it to be like,

"Come in, and just like forget everything,

and let's just almost pretend
like nothing happened."

You know? Like, just to...

[Melanie W.] That's all...
That's all we've ever done.

[Kelly] What's that?
"That's all we've ever done"?

Is just pretend
like nothing happened. [chuckling]

[Kelly] Well...

Yeah, because the only times
you've ever said anything, she said,

"I'm not gonna see you again
if you keep talking about it."

Right.

[contemplative music playing]

[Melanie W.] It went as well
as it could have, I guess.

They came over on Christmas, we hung out.

You know, everyone got presents.

It was as normal as it could have been
'cause we didn't say anything.

Nothing was talked about.

But we got our, you know, picture
of all of us in matching pajamas, and...

[chuckling]

Oh my gosh.

It's all for show.

It's just so she can take video,
and post it online,

and then the public is happy,
and Robert's happy.

[Robert] When we have Christmas,

I don't care
whether you want to go or not, you go.

If you cut their family,
all it does is cause us trouble.

[person] Yes, it does!

[Melanie W.] She's obviously
been fed a narrative

for the years that she's been in there.

It downplays
everything that we went through.

I was saying, "We went over a year
without hearing your voice."

And she's like,
"You act like a year is a long time."

"It's not a long time."

[contemplative music fades]

To hear that was pretty devastating,
but it was the clarity I needed.

It was... I needed to hear where she was at.

[moody music playing]

She has put everyone in my family
through so much hurt.

My parents never stopped fighting for her.

Desperately trying anything
to get her out.

I know she's brainwashed,
and I know it's not her,

but then in thinking of my wedding day...

I initially thought, regardless,

I would want to ask her
to be my maid of honor,

have her be there with me,
because that's what I always dreamed of.

But it just doesn't sit right
with me right now, which is...

It's so... It's so hard.

[voice wavering] But then I think of,
down the line, am I gonna regret that?

Am I gonna regret
not having my sister at my wedding?

[sniffling]

It's... [sighs]

I don't know.

I feel like my mind changes
every single day.

[music fades]

- Hi.
- [Dean] Say, "My name is Melanie."

My name is Melanie.

[Dean] Who's that over there?
Who's that girl?

- [Melanie W.] Miranda.
- I'm Miranda.

- [baby Melanie W.] Miranda.
- [contemplative music playing]

[Melanie W., voice wavering]
My fiancé has only seen the hurt

that my sister has put me through.

[sniffling]

And he keeps saying, like,

"This day is about you.
It's not about her."

"You need to be happy."

And he knows that

this whole situation just brings me down.

And he just doesn't want me
to have to go through that.

["See Her Out [That's Just Life]"
[by Francis and the Lights playing]

[Kylie] I was trying to be someone
I wasn't to please people in Shekinah,

to please Robert.

When you're trying to fit a mold
that's not you, nothing is gonna work.

But when you're not trying to fit a mold,

and you're just focused on being you,
you're gonna shine.

♪ If you see her out there ♪

♪ Behind the wheel ♪

Coming out of Shekinah,
relearning who I am, what I want to do,

I realized this is what I'm meant
to be doing.

[cheering]

This is the best thing
that I've ever done.

♪ Whole damn world is a cage ♪

[people screaming]

♪ But that's just life ♪

[Aubrey] At first,
I had to kind of distance myself

from what people were saying,

and just know, like,
my story has just begun.

I'm gonna continue to keep pushing
and keep doing what I love to do.

♪ Oh God, I hope she escapes ♪

I just found that balance, you know? Um...

That balance was doing what I want to do

and how I was put on this Earth to do it.

♪ But that's just life ♪

♪ I lived it twice ♪

♪ I treat you right ♪

♪ The way you taught me ♪

♪ That's just life ♪

[Priscylla] Even though we're sisters,

we're starting a relationship
for the first time in our lives,

and I'm so grateful.

♪ If you see her out there ♪

[Melanie W.] I definitely still miss her.

If she's out, and she's...

You know, "Hey, I'm at this address,
pick me up," I'm there.

♪ Oh God, I hope she escapes ♪

But, you know, life continues.

♪ Whole damn world is a cage ♪

I'm not gonna have someone control me.

♪ But that's just life ♪

♪ I lived it twice ♪

♪ I treat you right ♪

♪ The way you taught me ♪

♪ That's just life ♪

♪ I lived it twice ♪

♪ So I say good night ♪

♪ Don't say it softly ♪

[song fades]

[moody pop song playing]

- [young Miranda] Can I open this, Mommy?
- [young Melanie] I want to, it's heavy!

It's a brand-new helmet!

[Dean laughing]

[Kelly laughing]

We'll get 'em back, right?
We'll help get 'em back.

♪ Start from the top
You are not ♪

♪ Anything I wanted
But I want you so bad ♪

♪ I want you so bad ♪

♪ One more hit and then I'll quit ♪

♪ The angel on my shoulder whispers
"Don't give in, don't give in," ♪

♪ But I promise, tomorrow I'll listen ♪

♪ Dance with the devil one more time ♪

♪ Dance with the devil one more time ♪

♪ Slow decline to lose your mind ♪

♪ Dance with the devil one more time ♪

[Robert] God says you cannot be defeated.

Anyone who speaks against me are wrong.

- I cannot be defeated.
- [people chattering]

- Somebody say, "I cannot be defeated."
- [people] I cannot be defeated!

♪ But I promise, tomorrow I'll listen ♪

♪ Dance with the devil one more time ♪

♪ Dance with the devil one more time ♪

♪ Slow decline to lose your mind ♪

♪ Dance with the devil one more time ♪

♪ Dance with the devil one more time ♪

[song ends]