Short stories

Short story 3

You have to get to the bottom of your family's deepest secret.

***Triggerwarning***deepsecrets***lies***Mental health***Personality disorder***

Leila was a cheerful 13-year-old girl who lived a contented life with her family. She loved spending her free time in her room, blasting music through her Bluetooth headphones, and dancing around. She had all the things she ever wanted, including her own personal space, a great group of friends, and a wonderful family. However, everything changed abruptly when she caught sight of two unfamiliar brunette boys walking up the driveway through her window. With a sense of unease creeping in, Leila quickly took off her headphones, pressed the pause button on the music, and picked up her phone. She slowly made her way downstairs, her heart pounding with apprehension, not sure what was going to happen next. Leila was standing at the top of the stairs when she heard a knock on the door. She curiously peered down to see her dad opening the door, greeting two boys with a warm smile. Leila had never seen them before and wondered who they were. The boys stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say. She noted that they appeared to be at least a year or two older than her, which made her even more curious about their visit."Hi I'm Alex and this is Max, we did a DNA test and you were a match, you're our dad, "The boy on the left said smiling happily. 

"You can't be here, you need to leave," Her father said scared as he looked at them and quickly closed the door and locked it. 

As soon as he turned around and saw me, a look of surprise washed over his face and he immediately froze in his tracks. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I just stared at him, feeling bewildered and confused. Who were the people standing behind him, and why were they there? They had mentioned something about a DNA match, but I had no idea what that meant. My mind raced with questions and doubts. Could they be my brothers? Or was there something else going on here? And the most troubling thought of all - did Dad cheat on Mom? The shock and disbelief I felt were overwhelming, and I struggled to make sense of it all.

"Did you cheat on Mom, "I whisper yell. 

He pulls me to his study and sits on his brown leather armchair, sighing as he pinches his nose.

"No I did not cheat on Mom," he says tiredly. 

I lower myself onto the seat, positioning myself directly across from him. Bringing my knees up to my chest, I wrap my arms around them, creating a protective barrier. The room feels cold and my body instinctively curls inwards, seeking warmth and comfort. I look up at him, meet his gaze, and try to steady my breathing.

"So who are they, "I ask quietly. 

"None of your business," he snaps at me. 

Upon hearing those words, I felt as if I  had been slapped. As I tried to comprehend what had just happened, I noticed that he was looking at me with a sorrowful expression. I couldn't shake off the feeling that he had been hiding something from me, and the thought only added to my confusion and sense of betrayal."It is my business when they say you their father which would make them my brothers, "I say angrily. 

"Just stay out of this, please, "He says rubbing his brow. 

As soon as the conversation ended, I simply nodded distantly and then walked back to my room. I closed the door behind me, took a deep breath, and lay on my bed while staring at the ceiling. My mind was racing with thoughts about the boys and how my dad had acted. I couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration and disappointment, wondering why things had to be so complicated. The silence in the room only amplified my thoughts, and I knew that it would take some time to process everything that had just happened. Dad was acting defensively.