Hollywood Arts, Here I Am

Chapter 4: Family Struggles, Making It On My Own, And A Court Date

Warning: As this chapter is basically a flashback into Skyla's past, I will advise that this may be triggering to those suffering familial issues or other struggles such as depression/mental health, eating disorders, suicide, etc. There will also be depictions of incest/sexual assault. Please skip this chapter if these topics are triggering to you, or read at your own risk

You have been warned.
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Back when I was 6, my family began to fight with each other. My sister and my father had verbal altercations daily, my mother was always outside or in her room doing drugs, mainly smoking pot and taking sleeping medications, I was stuck alone, usually the victim of getting screamed at by my mother, who was high as a kite 99% of the time.

My father wanted to divorce my mother, but since we struggled financially, he could never do so.

My sister passed away of an oxy overdose when I was 10, I found her suicide note next to her body and took it to my father, who then proceeded to have a mental breakdown and left the house in tears. He left the note on the counter, my mother, sober at the time, picking it up and breaking down herself.

I can't take this anymore,

I'm so sorry, papa, but all this stress is too much for me. Your abuse was too much. You know what you did to me, you're a monster and I can NEVER forgive you.
I'm so sorry, momma, but your negligence is too much, you've damaged this family with your irresponsibility. You will never be forgiven. And I will never forgive you for not stopping papa that night.
Skyla, forgive me, you did nothing wrong. You never did anything wrong. Don't let them get to you, don't let papa hurt you like he did to me, don't let momma tell you that you're worthless, because you are not.

There's not much else I can say, other than I'm sorry, and please forgive me.

My father passed away that same night, he crashed into a tree with his car.

My mother began blaming me for their deaths, screaming at me that if I had never been born, they would still be happy and alive. Because I was a surprise to my family, they were never expecting me. They weren't ready for me.

After my father and sister's passings, my mother began to abuse more substances, she left more often, bringing random strangers home and having really loud sex, keeping me up all night. She would complain when I got in trouble for falling asleep at school, like it wasn't her fault

Even though my grandma says I was the most quiet baby they've ever experienced, she also said that she and my grandfather, George, were the only ones who properly took care of me when my family refused to. My aunts Clarissa and Angelica live in Ohio, they send me clothes from Earthbound for my birthday and for Christmas, they had always adored me when I was born. My extended family loved and cared about me, unlike my parents. So when my grandparents passed away naturally, a year ago, they left me with their estate, claiming that I was responsible enough to live on my own in their will. I had their permission to emancipate myself, so I went and did so 2 weeks after their wake. It was also in that will where I found out what truly happened to my sister.

My father sexually assaulted her when I was 9, about 5 days before I turned 10, and 2 days before her suicide, she found out she was pregnant by my father. Her overdose was to cause a miscarry and to kill herself. She could NEVER live with herself knowing that her child was the product of incest.

My mother never knew that I live in my grandparent's estate, that I survive off of their fortune that they gave to me in their will. That I paid for their funeral and burial. That I visit them every anniversary and thank them for saving me. I never told anyone that I live in my grandparent's estate and have their fortune, out of fear of being used. If my mother found out, she would call CPS and force me to live with her in that estate even though it is legally mine. She would do whatever possible to abuse the fortune that was given to me. So when I became friends with Nadia at 11, then opening up about my familial issues at 13, then at 15, telling her about the estate and the fortune, that was a huge mistake. She had leverage against me, if I wronged her, she threatened me with telling my mother where I lived, she threatened me with telling my mother the truth.