“All I ever wanted was to change my names. I remember when I left home, I spent much of my time in the car thinking up new names. I wanted a new identity, a new life. Covering up my old life was my priority. I even told people I was from a poor family and my mother was a housekeeper.”
“I’m sorry.” He groaned.
She knew what was coming, and she braced herself for a nauseous cascade of painful memories. “Child services were called to our house several times. I went to the hospital on a number of occasions and would lie about my mother hitting me whenever she was drunk.
“You are the strongest person I know.” He said. She felt hot tears swim to her eyes. “Want to know more? My mother told my father and the doctors that I was mentally ill. I doubt the doctors believed her but my father always believed her. I denied being mentally ill but it put me in an emotional tailspin.”
“I can’t believe your biological mother would do this.” He was furious and she could tell the anger was directed to her mother. “I still can’t believe you lived through that.”
“Me too.” When she remembered that time, she didn’t know how she survived it. “I once got courage and left but my mother hired a private investigator who brought me back. Every time my dad would not give her money to spend on her boyfriends, she physically took her anger out on me.