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Requested by Harringtons_wife

Disclaimer: Brief mentions of self harm, attempted s*icide, dark past.

I numbly held a pocket knife, contemplating an escape from the despair, my eyes shut closed. That's when I heard a car pull up, I saw Steve jolting out of his car and rushing towards me with all his speed, snatching the sharp blade from my trembling hand. I stared into Steve's eyes, I couldn't even process what was going on, all I felt was numbness. My emotions frozen, unable to comprehend the sudden intrusion.

Now let's rewind the story....

Despite growing up in a wealthy household, money seemed incapable of buying the most precious emotion of all: love. I was never familiar to the warm embrace of my parents, who constantly reminded me that I was an unwanted presence, their own mistakes.

The fancy cars and luxurious homes only served as a constant reminder of how money could never fill the void. I was treated as an outcast in my own family, neglected by parents who saw me as nothing more than an inconvenience. They never bothered to spend time, always too busy with their own indulgences.

In my childhood, while my parents reveled at extravagant parties, I had been left in the hands of a detached nanny. The absence of love tormented me, making me question my worthiness. The weight of my parents' disappointment pressed upon me like a heavy stone, crushing my spirit.

All my life, I had been subjected to their harsh words, their constant reminders of my perceived inadequacies and failures. It wore me down, chipping away at my fragile self-worth.

And then, tragedy struck. My father was taken abruptly in a fatal accident, leaving behind a void that could never ever be filled. My mother, gripped by a deep, consuming grief, sought solace in the bottle, opting to drown her sorrows rather than face the responsibilities of life. Everything fell apart; the business, the work, all washed away in a tide of despair.

Days turned into nights, and she retreated further into the darkness of her despair. The once thriving household fell into disarray, idle and silent.

I found myself juggling three part-time jobs just to make the ends meet and to hold the crumbling pieces of my world together, exhaustion becoming my constant companion, dragging me down further into the depths of despair. The weight on my shoulders threatened to buckle my knees as I arrived home, weary and drained, to only be greeted by chaos-bottles of alcohol lying everywhere, some broken shards of glasses with rolls of joint all over the place.

I cleaned up the mess, both literal and metaphorical, heart growing heavier with the burden of responsibility. On top of that, listening to her yellings about how she's disappointed with me- doing nothing and still being a burden on her.

The overwhelming feeling was enough to kill me from inside, the insufferable pain, the abuse, everything. This should be the time when the close ones should be each other's support, helping each other and working together.
Yet, here I was, not sure of what was going on in my life.

I felt empty, no one being on my side. All alone, lost in my thoughts for the whole day. I felt like I was trapped in a cage, with not a single chance of escaping.

To clear my mind, I often retreated to the bench outside my house, desperate for a moment of respite. After I was done with the household work, I used to spend time outside in the cool and silent breeze. It helped me to calm down, it was just so peaceful.

I was sitting outside, just like every other normal day. I heard some footsteps approaching me, making me turn to the sound. It was Steve Harrington, the popular boy in Hawkins, who also happened to be my neighbor.