Chapter 1: The Boy Who Grew Up Too Fast
There was a boy.
That boy was me.
When I was younger, I believed I was loved. I believed my family was normal. I didn’t question anything—I was just a child living in a world that felt safe.
But I didn’t know that safety wouldn’t last.
When I turned eight, everything changed.
I started seeing things I didn’t understand—my mother with other men, secrets I was never meant to carry. That moment broke something inside me. From then on, she slowly stopped taking care of us, of the house… of everything.
And without anyone asking me, I became responsible.
I was just a child—
but I was the one cooking.
I had no friends. No one to talk to. Silence filled every corner of my life.
My father was distant. I only saw him once a week, and even then, we felt like strangers. There was no warmth, no connection. Just empty conversations and unspoken words.
Sometimes, I would watch other families laughing together, enjoying simple moments—and I would feel something sharp in my chest.
Why couldn’t my life be like that?
By the time I turned ten, things got worse.
My mother drifted further away. My father became colder. And at school, I became an easy target. I was bullied for my soft voice, for not being like the others, for not fitting into their idea of what a boy should be.
I felt different.
I felt alone.
Even at home, surrounded by people, I felt like I didn’t belong. My mother’s behavior became toxic, not just toward me, but toward my siblings too. And even with them, I couldn’t feel close.
It was like living in a house full of strangers.
But the truth is…
this pain didn’t start at eight.
It started even earlier.
Before everything broke, before I even understood what was happening, a cousin of mine tried—more than once—to force himself on me. I was scared. Confused. Silent.
I didn’t know how to speak.
I told no one.
One day, my mother noticed something and told his mother. But nothing changed. No one protected me. No one made it stop.
That’s when I learned something no child should ever learn:
Sometimes, you are completely on your own.
