In the end, they took me home.
While I was recovering, the police came by.
According to the kidnappers, they were some out–of–towners looking to score a quick buck in the big city.
They’d heard the Van Derlyns were rich, and
thov only had
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on thou figured
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they only had one daughter, so they figured they’d give it a shot.
Except, after they grabbed me, my parents
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thought it was a prank, too busy fawning over Brittany to even check if I was okay.
Luckily, a passerby found me, and I got to go home.
Two weeks later, I was back at the Van Derlyn
mansion.
Mom felt guilty, heaping food on my plate.
But the smell of fish made my stomach churn.
My hand flinched away, sending the fish to the floor.
Dad slammed his silverware down, the sound echoing in the silent dining room.
<
“After a scare like that, you’re still being picky?
You couldn’t be more different than Brittany. I
wanted to yell at you for being so immature when you were in the hospital.”
I stared at him, shocked.
For the last two weeks, they had been in the hospital.
But I didn’t want to see them.
Especially not when Brittany was there, all smiles, trying to cheer them up and telling me
to get better soon so they wouldn’t worry.
So, I pretended to be asleep.
Seeing I didn’t speak, Carol nudged Dad.
“Why are you yelling? Ashley still can’t remember anything!”
<
“Once she remembers, she won’t be picky like
she used to.”
Carol turned to me, looking guilty. “Darling, it’s
okay if you don’t like fish. I’ll get you some
chicken soup.”
“No thanks, I’m full.”
I stood, limping toward my room.
Dad’s voice rose again. “You don’t leave the
table until the adults are finished! Don’t think
because you’re hurt, you can do whatever you
want.”
I touched the fading bruises on my arm and
turned to look at him.
Thanks a lot.
I’d rather die out there than come back to this.
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- 5.
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That night, I found the diaries under my bed. How I found them is beyond me, but it felt like a sixth sense.
The diaries were just pages and pages of how awful my life had been before my kidnapping.
My dad was demanding and wanted things done his way.
He and Brittany’s dad had been buddies in the
army.
When Brittany’s dad died saving another
soldier, he took Brittany in as his own.
At first, I liked having another girl in the family.
But ever since she came, Brittany seemed to steal the love from Mom and Dad.
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To my parents, she was the hero’s daughter, which meant she could do no wrong.
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I’d get angry whenever I fell into her traps, and
we’d almost come to blows.
With those incidents happening, she started
telling my parents that I was a picky eater,
never paid attention in class, and even flirted with the boys.
I argued at first.
But my dad was strange and always took the word of others over his own daughter.
My mom was passive and was always going to
parties with the ladies or bringing people to Brittany’s shows.
She forgot that I had talents too.
When I was ten. Brittany slammed my pinky in
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My parents didn’t believe it was her and instead thought I was careless and blamed others.
After that, I didn’t want to play the piano again.
I read late into the night, going through all three diaries.
Before, I couldn’t understand why Mom and Dad never believed me even after all the horrible things that happened to me.
Then I learned that when I was a little girl, I’d
lied to Dad about a stomachache so I could
stay home from school.
Ever since then, he was sure I was just a liar, all
bad intentions, all the time.
Nothing I said was true.
Just like Dad always said that his soldier friend
had died to cove anothor and his child could do
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had died to save another, and his child could do
no wrong.
What kid doesn’t make a mistake?
Isn’t it the job of the parent to set them right?
I was beyond disappointed with my parents.
It was better that I didn’t remember anything.
Just reading these entries made me angry.
