❀VIOLET❀

'She was brave and strong all at once'

-Anna Funder-

The rest of the classes passed in a blur. I could hardly focus on what the teachers were saying, my mind drifting to anything but the lessons. I tried to take notes, but my thoughts kept wandering. I was barely present when my name was called over the intercom.

"Violet Nevaeh, please report to the principal's office immediately."

Whispers started as I gathered my things, shoving them into my bag. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, wondering what I had done. I took a deep breath and made my way to the principal's office, my heart pounding in my chest.

Principal Thompson was sitting behind his desk, his face unusually serious. Next to him was a woman I didn't recognize. She looked professional, her expression kind yet solemn.

"Violet, please have a seat," Principal Thompson said gently. I sat down, my hands gripping the edge of the chair.

The woman introduced herself as Sophie, a social care worker. My anxiety spiked. What was this about?

"Violet," she began softly, "I'm so sorry to tell you this, but your parents were in a car accident this morning. They didn't survive."

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, I felt nothing. Just numbness. My parents were dead. The people who had made my life a living hell were gone. I should feel something, shouldn't I? But all I felt was a strange, empty relief.

Sophie continued, her voice calm but insistent. "We've discovered that the people you believed to be your parents were not your biological family. You were taken from your real family when you were very young. You have seven older brothers who have been searching for you all these years."

I blinked, trying to process what she was saying. Seven older brothers? A real family? It didn't seem real.

"They're arranging to take you in, Violet. You'll be going to meet them soon," Sophie said, watching me closely.

I nodded slowly, the numbness still heavy in my chest.

"What do I need to do?"

"Pack your things," she replied gently. "We'll be heading to the airport soon."

I stood up, feeling like I was moving through a fog. My parents were dead, and I wasn't sad about it. I felt nothing but a cold, distant relief.

I had a real family out there, brothers who had been looking for me. It was hard to believe, but maybe, just maybe, things were about to change for the better.

As I walked back to my locker to gather my things, I couldn't help but think that this was the start of something new. Something that might finally be good.

Sophie drove me straight home. My thoughts were a chaotic mess as I tried to process everything she had told me. When we pulled up to my house, I didn't hesitate. I went inside, my mind focused on one thing: packing.

I didn't miss this place. Not one bit. The house that had been a prison for so long now felt like a stranger's home. I went straight to my room, grabbing a suitcase from under my bed. I started packing my clothes, books, and a few personal items. After finishing packing, I got outside my room and went to the front door.

I slammed the door shut harshly and got inside the car with Sophie. I pulled in my ear buds and played music on full volume as we drove to the police station.

At the police station, Sophie handled the paperwork and got my plane ticket sorted out. After a quick lunch at a nearby diner, we headed to the airport. I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and a soda, eating slowly while Sophie filled me in on what little she knew about my brothers.

After our little lunch at the diner, we headed off to head to the airport. Once again, I got inside the police car with Sophie mindlessly looking outside.

The it hit me.

  My mind was fixed on Sunset Hues, the bakery where I had found a sense of belonging.

I pulled out my phone, hesitating before composing a message to Iris. My thumbs hovered over the screen, struggling to find the right words. How could I explain that I wouldn't be returning, that my life was about to change in ways I couldn't fully comprehend?

Finally, I typed out the message, my fingers trembling slightly as I pressed send. The weight of my decision settled heavily on my chest as I watched the message disappear into the digital void.

*Hey Iris,*

I'm sorry, but I won't be able to work at the bakery anymore. Something unexpected came up, and I have to leave town.

Thank you for everything. Take care of the bakery for me.

*Violet*

Sent: 10:46

Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at the screen, realizing the finality of my message. Sunset Hues had been my refuge, a place where I felt safe and accepted. Now, everything was changing, and I didn't know if I would ever return.

What if my brother's turn out exactly like them? Or if they hate me. Or punish me.

Sophie glanced at me briefly, her expression filled with sympathy. "Are you alright, Violet?" she asked softly.

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Yeah," I managed to reply, my voice barely above a whisper.

I stared at My phone, my mind drifting to all the beatings and punishments I get for such simple reasons. Reasons parents should be able to be there for their child, or be with them when they are going through different stages. And when they need emotion support and love. But nobody would ever be able to understand what I ever go through, thus nobody even knows.

I never got the love I needed while growing up, I just get blamed at. The only thing I ever remember is that I only get beatings since I was just a toddler.

I felt like crying, but I can't. It's like something is stopping me from it. I just feel numb, and pain.

My tears won't allow to fall freely. Just like I was trapped here like in prison, unable to get free, live freedom.

I don't know what I did to deserve all this, but I just know that I do.

All I know is. I don't deserve to be loved.

Or cared.