My stepfather was the first person to ever harass me.
I wasn’t even 10 years old yet.
I didn’t understand a thing.
He would sneak in at night while I was asleep.
When I’d wake up, he’d pretend to be asleep on the floor,
Or pretend to be checking on my brother.
I told my mother when I understood what was happening.
But she didn’t believe me.
There was nothing she could do when she finally found out the truth because he was stronger than her.
The only thing for me to do was to go live with my great grandmother.
When she passed away, I went back to living with them.
Years later, he tried to do it again when I was 21 years old.
But I didn’t stay quiet this time.
I told my mother.
He denied the whole thing when she confronted him.
She was starting to believe him again.
That’s when I realized that no one in my family had my back.
I didn’t stay quiet.
I’ll never stay quiet again.