Five Years in Asylum, No Longer Home

My folks, trying to knock some sense into me, faked a DNA test, claiming I wasn't their real daughter.

My brother, ignoring my pleas, was all too eager to shove me into a mental hospital.

You're nothing but trouble, why don't you just drop dead? he'd sneer.

And my fianc, the guy I was head-over-heels for, just stood there, cold as ice, even pulling strings to make sure I suffered in that hellhole.

Five years.

Five years to learn my lesson.

Now, all of a sudden, they want the old, spoiled me back?

...

"Ashley, what's with the princess act again?

Being out this late, are you trying to make us all worry?"

That's my brother, Chad, his voice dripping with annoyance on the phone.

The Landrys finally let me out of the loony bin.

Because it's Brittany's birthday, and she's feeling generous enough to give me another chance.

Then Dad takes over the phone.

"I know you resent us for sending you away, but you were always so disobedient and mean to Brittany.

We did it for your own good!"

Chad chimes in, "Exactly, and we got you out now, right?

What more do you want?"

They keep nagging until, half an hour later, they're finally done lecturing and start asking where I am.

"Where are you right now?

We'll send a car to pick you up!

And behave this time, got it?"

I swallow hard, my throat rasping.

"The mental hospital."

Yeah.

I've been sitting here since dawn, not moving an inch.

Silence on the other end, then a louder, angrier voice.

"You're at the hospital and you can't get home yourself?

Do we have to come get you?

You know the way!"

"Who are you trying to fool with this act?

Still holding a grudge, huh?

I knew you hadn't learned your lesson, maybe we shouldn't have brought you home after all!"

They seem to have forgotten that they were the ones who told me to stay put.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Mr. Landry, Chad, I didn't mean to."

The apology is automatic.

Silence again.

Probably stunned by my compliance, or maybe by how I addressed them.

Five years ago, we were a family, close as could be, if it weren't for that damn DNA test, I never would have imagined that I, who looks eight parts like Mom and Dad, wasn't really their daughter.

"Whatever!"

He sounds defeated.

"I'll have your brother pick you up!"

I keep sitting there quietly, letting the cold and hunger gnaw at me.

"Need a ride, miss?"

A taxi pulls up.

I shake my head.

"Waiting for someone."

Taxis come and go.

It's past 10 pm, almost closing time at the hospital, and still no sign of the Landrys.

Not a single message on my phone.

The security guard can't take it anymore.

"You've been waiting all day, ain't nobody coming!

I'm about to clock out, and it's dangerous out here at night, especially for a young girl like you!"

I just manage a weak smile.

What's one more day when I've already waited five years?

He sighs, gives me some water and a sandwich, and decides to stay late with me since he's worried about me.

"Thanks, mister!"

I eat the sandwich, grateful.

This is the best birthday I've had in five years.

In the end, I didn't get picked up, the security guard took me home.

It's after midnight when I finally get there.

My phone's still silent.

The Landry house is lit up, the sound of laughter spilling out into the night.

I don't say a word.

If the maid hadn't opened the door, I think I would've stayed out there forever.

"Wow, you look awful!

And your clothes are a mess."

Chad's the first to speak, can't help but blurt it out.

Mom seems shocked.

"Ashley, honey, you've lost so much weight!"

How could I go from a chubby-cheeked girl to someone who barely tips the scales at eighty pounds in just five years?

Even Dad looks a little sad, immediately telling the maid to fix me something to eat.

"We were going to pick you up, but Brittany wasn't feeling well, so we..."

I get it.

This is their special way of making amends.

They can ignore me and put me down in front of Brittany without a second thought, not even caring if they hurt my feelings.

Then, afterward, they toss me a bone, hoping I'll forget all the pain.

I used to eat it up.

But now, I don't care.

I start to speak, but Chad cuts me off.

"Give me a break, it's just a ploy to get attention.

Probably dieting again and blaming it on the hospital?

Just wants you to feel sorry for her so she can stay here!"

Mom scoffs at him, then turns to me, her eyes soft and gentle.

"We haven't found your real parents yet, so you can stay here.

You can call me Mom again, I'll still think of you as my daughter!"

"It's okay, Mrs. Landry, I'm so grateful you're letting me stay!"

That one formal address puts a vast distance between us, where once there was the closest bond imaginable.

Mom can't hold back the tears, and starts to cry.

I'm not the headstrong girl she used to know anymore.

If I complained, if I yelled, if I blamed her and Dad for those years of neglect, it'd be better than this weak, pathetic version of myself.

Brittany sees me and visibly shudders, like she's seen a ghost.

Finally, she musters up the courage to reach out her hand.

"Ashley, let's bury the hatchet!"

I stand there, stunned.

I never argued with her, what is there to forgive?

Five years ago, I was a college freshman.

Like always, every time I entered a new place, I declared my ownership over Carter Hayes.

Carter was my fianc, and I loved him fiercely, plus, being Ashley Landry, the spoiled rich girl, I didn't tolerate any girl looking at him twice.

Brittany was one of them.

Brittany grew up in an orphanage, but somehow, she always managed to catch Carter's eye, and he couldn't help but pay attention.

Even my brother, who always took my side, turned against me.

I confronted her once.

After that, Brittany was tormented by bullies.

Everyone said that I was behind it.

By the end of the semester, Brittany couldn't take it anymore and jumped from the roof of the school.

She was rescued, unharmed, but she left a note.

It was full of accusations against me.

Nobody believed me.

Carter broke up with me.

I thought it was the worst thing that could happen to me.

Then, I found out I wasn't a Landry after all.

Brittany was the real daughter.

And my real parents?

No one would tell me!

I fell from grace in the blink of an eye.

The people who had raised me sent me to a mental hospital.

"I don't want the family to worry, whatever you did, I don't care."

"If you don't make Mom and Dad mad, I can treat you like a sister!"

Brittany smiles, all sweetness and forgiveness.

Anyone would praise her for her kindness and generosity.

Dad nods in agreement.

"That's right, if you change, you can be a Landry again!"

Chad frowns at me.

"I only forgave you because Brittany wanted me to.

Thank Brittany now, and if you bully her again, I won't forgive you!"

Five years ago, I would have defended myself.

I didn't bully Brittany, she did it all herself.

But now, I'm not going to humiliate myself by explaining things to people who don't care.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to get my ID back..."

They all glare at me.

They think I'm ungrateful.

"Why do you make a fuss about this small thing?

If you're so childish, do you want to go back to the hospital?"

"We raised you, why can't you be nice like Brittany, why can't you be a better daughter?"

Mom seems agitated.

I don't know why she's so upset.

"But I'm not your daughter anymore!"

Is it not normal for me to get my ID and leave?

Mom freezes.

She lets go of me, looks at me.

It's like she doesn't recognize me.

Chad scoffs.

"Planning to take what you have?

We gave you everything for over twenty years, you really think you can pay us back?"

I lower my head.

I don't understand these people.

They hate me, I'm not a Landry, why would they want me to leave?

I end up staying at the Landry home.

My old bedroom is Brittany's now.

I'm in the maid's room, which I never set foot in before.

I don't complain, I go to sleep early.

Even in this soft bed, I have a nightmare.

I'm in the hospital, I'm hurt.

Men rip my clothes off and laugh at me.

I tell them my family will do something about this.

I tell them my fianc will save me.

But no one cares.

They say I'm not a Landry anymore.

They say no one will save me.

They say I'm foolish.

Because the Landrys and Carter let this happen.

Once again, I wake up from a nightmare.

I'm so cold.

When I go to get a glass of water, I see Chad come out of his room.

He has a helmet, he's going for a ride.

I don't say anything, I get my water.

Chad stops, and he gets closer to me.

"Don't you want to say anything?"

"What?"

I ask.

I remember when Chad got in an accident on his motorcycle, I would yell at him and then tell him to be careful.

He said I worried too much.

"What do you know?

Motorcycles are cool!

You're not my sister, Brittany doesn't say anything, why are you?"

He didn't like it, but before he went out, I told him to be careful.

But those things went away a long time ago.

Chad frowns at me.

"You don't care if I get in an accident?"

I shake my head.

"I don't know anything about this, isn't riding a motorcycle cool?"

"I'm going back to sleep, is that okay?"

Chad blocks my path, I try to get around him, but he stops me.

"Is it about the hospital?

We forgave you!

If you didn't bully Brittany, we wouldn't have done this."

He laughs.

Every time we argue, he brings up Brittany.

He waits for me to start crying.

But now I just shake my head.

"I'm not mad, really."

But he's mad, he punches the table.

When I see Carter, I don't feel anything.

He and Brittany are together, he has the look I wanted.

He frowns when he sees me.

I wanted to marry Carter, but I couldn't.

Now he has what he wants.

"Ashley, your clothes were dirty, I got you some more, I only wore these once."

Brittany hands me old clothes.

Everyone is looking at us.

I remember losing.

But that was long ago.

"Thanks, Miss Landry!"

I take the clothes.

I can trade these for money.

I became so pathetic, the servants are talking about me.

The Landrys look unhappy.

"Ashley, you're trash!"

Chad storms over, and throws the clothes on the ground.

"Why would you wear trash?

Don't you know you're a Landry?"