My parents had a child together when I was 15. Forced to abandon him, they were separated. Three years later, they got back together, married, and had me. Then my sister.
At 24, we discovered our older brother. Ten years later, we still haven’t met him. But he’s out there, somewhere.
Story 7: Behind the Tinted Windows
My father made me hide in the back of his car when he took my half-brother to see his biological father. Always at a gas station, always at night. He would bend my head.
It was only later that I understood: this father was often in and out of prison. My father wanted to protect me. But at what cost?
Story 8: Deceptive Uniform
As a child, I thought my grandfather wore work clothes. Later, I realized it was a prison uniform.
The craziest part? My grandmother had an affair with the sheriff who arrested him. And she still lives with him today.
Story 9: Double Life
Every Wednesday, my boyfriend and I had lunch at the same restaurant. He said it was his day off, his favorite place.
One Wednesday, my phone was stolen. I went to wait for him. A waitress lent me her phone. When I dialed his number, the screen displayed a picture of him… in bed with a dog… and her.
We looked at each other:
« How do you know my boyfriend? »
She was filling in exceptionally that day. He had another regular appointment at the same time. Another life.
Story 10: The Forgotten Childhood
As a child, I saw a therapist without understanding why. It was only later that I made the connection: at the age of 4 or 5, I had survived a serious car accident.
I was being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder… which I had completely erased from my memory.
Story 11: The Hospital and the Colored Pencils
When I was 5 years old, my mother was in bed all night. She kept saying she was sick. One day, my stepfather took her to the hospital. She stayed there for a month.
I thought it was great: she did manual activities all day and, when she came back, she continued with me.
I told him that I also wanted to go to the hospital to draw.
She looked at me seriously.
« I hope you never need help like I did. But if you do, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. »
It wasn’t until I was 13 that I realized she was in a psychiatric hospital. And that sometimes I, too, didn’t want to get out of bed. Thanks to her, I was never afraid to ask for help.
Story 12: Pasta and Lies
My daughter loved going to her friend Tia’s house. She raved about her dad’s pasta. My wife always insisted on taking her there.
Then one day, she said they’d moved out. Nine years later, I mentioned Tia, and my daughter grew livid:
« Mom was lying. She was seeing Tia’s dad on the sly, during my sleepovers. »
My world collapsed. My wife was using our daughter as an excuse to join her lover.
My daughter begged me not to think about it again. But I couldn’t. I confronted my wife. And I filed for divorce.
