The Story Of An Anonymous Girl ✔

Chapter 26

MIA

As I lay in the bath, relaxing, the whole day replays in my brain. Getting ready for the first day in a new school, having breakfast with my mom and stepdad - Theresa and Luke Thompson, going to school with Oliver. Getting selected for the football cheer leading team and basketball team. Taken hostage. Meeting Leo - a complete stranger who I told about my past.

For some reason, I felt safe with him. Like I have known him for years, and we've been friends ever since. I also felt like I could trust him with all of my secrets. Even my deepest, darkest ones - the ones that are buried deep inside of me, and no one knows about them. The ones even Oliver - my best friend for more than a year now - doesn't know about. Sophia and Charlotte - my best friends since Year 6 - have a slight idea about it but don't know the whole story. They have been my best friends since they stood up for me to the bullies of the school. Even though I changed schools after Year 7 to move to Vancouver, we have been in touch consistently - through texts and video calls. Every now and then, I would get a call or a text from them with "good news" or "bad news". Our conversations always made me feel like I have been let back into their lives again, like I am still a part of their lives. They are the ones I call when I need to talk. I call them whenever I feel alone. I call them when I feel like I am losing my mind. I call them when I am having a bad day. I call them when I am having a good day. They understand me. They listen to me. They are there for me. I know that they will be there for me for the rest of my life. I love them. I can't imagine my life without them. I am so lucky to have them as my friends. I am so fortunate to have them in my life.

Every time I think about my past, I realise how much of a father Luke has been to me. He talks to me about my future. Which university do I want to go to and so much of other stuff. He definitely has been more of a father than my sperm donor - William Smith.

My mom and the sperm donor's love story was a fairy tale, except it wasn't. They had met in college first in their first years but started a relationship only after graduation. My mom was like a moth to a flame, and the flame burned her brutally. When she was pregnant with me during her first year in Microsoft, he had up and left. Only to return after two years because he was bankrupt. He had spent all of his money in Las Vegas and lost it to some people. My mom had shifted to Toronto for two years - before I was born; to get some help in taking care of me while she was working from home.

When he returned, she retreated to Winnipeg with me. Those eight years were torture for both of us. She took him back because she thought he still loved her. My mom would take the beatings and assaults for me while I would just shut my eyes and ears, trying to block the noises. But, when he tried to assault me, my mom went to the police. I used to blame myself for it, but my therapist said that the only one to be inculpated was the sperm donor.

My mom got divorced after that and got sole custody of me. We moved from Winnipeg to Toronto because she had some friends there. Also, the Microsoft office in Toronto had an opening.

She was so broken when we had moved. Then, she met Luke. He was in the same college as my mom but was a freshman when she was a sophomore. He had a crush on my mom, but she would hang out with the sperm donor most of her time and studied whenever she wasn't with him. So, Luke never made his move. When she went to the office the first day, Luke immediately recognised her and befriended her. He noticed the deep-set eyebags under my mom's eyes and invited us over to dinner the same day. Luke asked why we had moved to Toronto during dinner, and we both started to bawl our eyes out. He apologised umpteen times for asking that and consoled both of us.

Luke was and still is a great support system for my mom. Luke supported my mom whenever she needed support, no questions asked. For the first few months, he would come over every day and make us dinner in so much quantity that both mom and I would be able to take it for lunch the next day. He is the benignest and benevolent person on this Earth. They started going out as friends initially, but then it escalated into something more. I was pleased for her. She started glowing from within and slept well every single night. She wouldn't even be able to hear my screams whenever I had a nightmare. There were many scenarios in all of them. All of the same men in that house, ravishing me this time.

I am more than thankful that I haven't walked in on them doing stuff. I think, walking out of the bathroom after towelling myself dry.

They got married after the end of Year 8 during the break on the first weekend.

It was the same day that I had found Aaron cheating on me with Courtney - the one person that I hate as much as the sperm donor. She was the typical queen bee bitch of the school. I did not let him explain himself because all the lipstick stains on his face were evidence enough for me to know what was going on.

The good thing was that I didn't have to see both of their faces ever again. Mainly because that year, after their marriage, miraculously, both Luke and my mom had to be transferred from Vancouver back to Toronto.

"Mia, I need your help down here." I hear Oliver holler breaking my train of thought.

"Coming." I holler back.