Yes I've got issues but you got 'em too.
- l i l a -
After leaving with mom, the first few years with my new family were amazing.
Even though I was a bit saddened that Patrick and mom had sent Daniel to a boarding since there were no good school in the small town we lived in.
But deep down I knew he was a genius for his age and deserved the best studies so I never complained.
Well for me, I never cared about school or anything.
My favourite part of the year was when Daniel would come for holidays and we all were together.
It was perfect.
Little did I know everything was going to change soon.
I met him for the first time when I was eight. He wore the coolest smile and talked like the sweetest person to ever exist on earth.
I liked him instantly. He would always play with me, bring me gifts and treat me like a princess.
However, it was a month later I saw his true side. The real monster hidden behind that false facade.
That day he came to our house when mom and Patrick were not home and I was all alone.
The naive eight year old me didn't suspect anything wrong until he slapped me.
He pushed me hard and then started hitting me until I was unconsciousness. I didn't know what was happening. What I did to deserve this torture.
That was the first time it happened.
After that it started happening again and again. It became his regular job. He would come at times when my parents were not at home and beat me to unconsciousness.
The kicks and punches were generally delivered at places which were hidden by my clothes, so that no one could see the bruises.
He would wake me up when mom and Patrick were about to come back home and pretend as if we were playing. He persuaded me not to tell anyone.
"Even if you tell no one will believe you Lila. And you know what will happen next? Your punishment will become harsher the next time."
That was what he always said.
For some reason, I was thankful that he would just hit me a few times and tried to do anything else.
But it was way too early to assume that.
It was when I was 10, four years ago. Daniel was not well and mom and Patrick had gone to visit him for a few days. And he agreed to take care of me. He took me to his apartment.
To say I was scared would be an understatement.
I was petrified.
The first two days went comfortably. He didn't do anything other than a few slaps.
It was on the third day of my stay when he came home drunk and annoyed.
After that day, I couldn't take it any longer. I couldn't tolerate it any more.
So after Patrick and mom returned, I stole his phone and called the person I trusted the most in the whole world at that particular moment.
Dad.
My real dad.
Even though I hated him for literally abandoning me but I couldn't forget that he was the same person who treated me like a princess for the first four years of my life, the person who was always there for me despite his tiring and hectic business.
But maybe I was wrong.
He picked up after a few rings.
"Who's this?"
"Dad-" I choked on my sob.
"Lila? What happened?" There was concern in his voice but it disappeared immediately.
"D-D-Dad I don't want to be here. Please." I was trying to be calm.
"You should talk to your mom about that Lila."
"Dad I don't like him. He-"
"Who? Wait, I don't have time to talk about your new family Lila. If you don't like something, talk to your mom."
He didn't even let me complete.
"Please-"
"Lila I'm busy right now. I'll talk to you later darling."
"I-I-If you're busy then give me Victor's number. I'll call him."
"You're not going to call any of your brother Lila. They've just started handling the business and are busier than me, okay?" His concerned voice was immediately replaced by a stern command.
And with that he hung up. I tried calling him again and again but it went to voicemail. I tried recalling Victor's number but unfortunately the only number I remembered was of dad. After infinite unsuccessful attempts I finally gave up.
A small phone call with my dad made me think about the family I had.
My mom was too busy with her new husband to notice the pain her own daughter was going through.
My brothers were too busy handling the business to care about me.
And for my dad, lets just say he never wanted me in first place and the four years of love he showered me with was just a pretentious mask.
That day I realised that it was only me who could help myself. No one else would do that for me.
That night, when everyone was asleep, I secretly sneaked from my house and ran away.
I didn't know where I was going. I was just a scared ten years old with nothing- no family, friends, relative, no one. But there was just one thought in my mind at that time.
I have to get away from him.
I was too lost in my thoughts to notice the car coming from the other side of the road. But it came to a halt before it could hit me.
An old man came down from the car running towards me.
Philip.
He checked me for any visible injuries. He then asked me about my parents and I just lied. I told him I had no family.
I knew he didn't believe me but for some reason he ignored it and decided to take me to his orphanage.
After just a week stay at orphanage, I started loving it. It was probably the best time of my life. We had our own rooms, our own little space and no one cared about anyone or anything.
At times, Philip would question me about my family but all he got was blunt replies which only increased his suspicions that I was hiding something.
But I cared less for I knew that he would never be able to know the truth because the person he was searching for never existed.
Amelia William never existed.
The first thing I knew when I ran away from mom was that I could no longer afford to live as Lila because if I did, someone would find me.
When Philip asked me my name for the first time, I told him that I was Amelia. Amelia William.
The name I gave to myself.
After that everything Philip tried to get to know was about Amelia. My false name. My false identity.
And I knew he would never know anything because there was no Amelia.
It somehow made me feel safe. That no one would ever be able to reach me and I could spend the rest of my in that orphanage. Happily.
Only if I knew what was about to happen next.
It had been two weeks since I came here to the orphanage. Everything was going good for now.
Like everyday I was sitting in my room going through the phone I had borrowed from the caretaker to see if there was any news on Lila Alfonso missing.
Patrick was quite an influential person. He was not rich but had many contacts so any news related to him spread like wildfire in the small town where he lived.
I sighed in relief when I saw there was no news about me missing but suddenly my gaze fell on a two week old article of a local news channel.
'Patrick William and his girlfriend Bethany Adams hospitalized after an accident.'
Patrick and my mom.
With shivering fingers, I clicked open that article and read it but I froze when I read the last words.
'According to sources, Patrick and Bethany were not able to make through it.
While Bethany's daughter is missing, the custody of Daniel William, Patrick William's son has been given to John, the only known family.
Search for Bethany's daughter has been going on. Considering there are no other relative, John has agreed to be her guardian when she's found'
That day I knew I couldn't let anyone find me. Because if they did, they'll give me back to him. The person I ran away from.
And I knew no one would believe me if I told them what he did to me. Why would they? They would definitely believe him.
For he was John. John William.
Patrick's own son and Daniel's elder brother.
~
What's your favourite colour?
Mine is Black.
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