When I was 10 I was accused of stealing my cousin’s (ex)-wife’s ring. I had no interest in that stuff and I usually spent my time watching cartoons. My auntie (not the mother of my cousin but the head of the family) physically hit me and demanded me to confess that I stole it.

This was also a period of time where I was very emotionally troubled for a variety of reasons: unstable home life, bullied at school, and I started to have a strained relationship with my mom and made an accusation that almost got her fired (I would not realize this till I was older) which made her stop talking to me and led to the point where my aunt (head of family) confronted me.

Tired, confused, and upset I said yes. I just wanted people to stop yelling at me, I didn’t actually understand what was going on. I made up a story how I took it and how I supposedly put it down later on the coffee table. I don’t even know if it was found there but I don’t think my aunt cared. My mom did take me to a variety of therapists. I did pay the consequences for a crime I didn’t do.

You know what’s funny? My cousin’s wife tried running him over later on. It turned out she was unstable and she likely just lost the ring and found it again. A grown woman was completely willing to let a child suffer abuse and be falsely accused and ostracized by his family because she was too embarrassed to admit she lost it.

That sounds like what happened here. I wish my parents backed me up like his parents did. I told them the truth years after the incident, eventually my family warmed up to me, things have mended. But I won’t ever forget the hurt and betrayal I felt.