Who's The Real Victim?

byAngelWing

226 followers

8 years ago

Over 10 years ago, I was 16 years old and Christmas was right around the corner. At this time I had a part time job and saved my money for buying Christmas gifts for my friends and immediate family. This one particular year, I was surprised when I was given a task by my dad to purchase my mom's Christmas gift for him.

He had handed me $400 dollars, which was a big deal to be given such responsibility due to never having such a trusted task assigned to me before.

He told me he wanted me to go around to a few jewelry shops to price out a pair of diamond earrings.

He normally never got her presents, especially not jewelry. I thought about how easily diamond earrings got lost and wasn't my idea of the best place for a diamond. I remember how my mom's diamond from her wedding ring had come loose and fell out and was forever lost. I was just a kid and I remember her looking for it in tears as soon as she noticed it missing off the band.

I suggested he maybe bought her a diamond to replace it. She always wanted him to replace the diamond so she could wear her ring again. He snarled the suggestion. He was sure that's what he wanted to get her earrings for Christmas.

So I had $400 dollars of my dad's that was dedicated to my mom's Christmas earrings along with $100 dollars or so of my own that occupied my wallet. I was always really good at saving my money and would have birthday and Christmas money saved up from a year or two before. I really was good at holding on to gift cards especially because I could only spend them at those designated stores.

I went to one local jewelry store, had called my dad to report to him what kind of selection they had in his $400 dollar budget. He had asked me to keep shopping and was short with me on the phone because he was busy.

I hung on to the money and decided to take a break from shopping to go see my best friends that I was often third wheel to. My brother Chad and his now wife Lisa were my life. We did everything together and they were my favorite people to be around. My freshman year was my brother's senior year and we always ended up at the same highschool kick-it house on friday nights. Eventually, he would start calling me to get the inside scoop on where the party was. So for my popularity perks, I would offer up the location as long as he would start giving me rides there. Going out was made possible for me when my parents were satisfied that I was in my older brother's company.

He didn't like this idea at first, but then I would remind him how we always ended up at the same place anyway, and so he agreed. My brother was the funniest person that I knew. Plus unlike the oldest brother, he would always have my back and would never rat me out.

He met his future wife, Lisa, on a camping trip that I didn't end up being apart of. I didn't like this new girl he started bringing to the house and didn't ever think she was good enough for my brother. It took some time and eventually I titled her a best friend.

Lisa's dad had passed away after a fluke boating accident so my brother and her were living back at her parents house to help out her mom with the house. I headed over to their place to see where all the excitement was for that weekend.

Lisa tells me that we were all going to go drink over at their friend's house that was right up the street from her mom's and that we could just walk there and no one would have to drive. It was a great plan and it was so nice that my strict parents had a hard time telling me no when I asked to stay the night at my brother's.

Lisa had her cousin Michelle staying the night since she was visiting from the bay area. Lisa was excited to drink with her cousin now that they were older and could share this experience.

Michelle was my age and so was Lisa's little sister who was in my class. So all 5 of us walked over to the party and got our drink on.

As the night went on I recall Lisa telling cousin Michelle and her sister to stay longer and didn't want them to call it an early night as they were ready to walk back to their house where all of us would eventually be staying the night.

They left anyway and a couple hours went by. Someone decided to drive to Jack in the Box to curb our late night crave for food. I wanted food too so I tagged along with Lisa and her friend who was able to drive us.

As we took down orders I remembered how I had my wallet locked inside my truck and needed to make a quick stop to grab my money. I didn't have my wallet on me because I had lots of Christmas money that I didn't want to loose.

As we approached the street Lisa's house was on, my heart sunk as I see my truck which is parked directly in front of her house. The light in my truck was on and the door was shut but not completely latched.

I opened my door to my truck, lifted the center consul and to my surprise there was my wallet. I quickly opened it to see the 4 missing Best Buy gift cards I had with over $50 on each card and worse… All the MONEY!

I wanted to puke. Beside the alcohol, my stomach was turning upside down with knots from emotional despair. I swore that I had locked my truck, and my keys were inside Lisa's house! This didn't seem right.

I had a flash back of being in the kitchen at the house we were drinking at, telling my brother of the money I had gotten from dad for mom's Christmas present.

I recall Michelle, Lisa's cousin being within ear shot as I told him, and recall how she wanted to leave early for no apparent reason.

I stared to think about how Michelle also showed off her new stolen items from a department store that she bragged about lifting so easily.

I automatically pieced the puzzle together and concluded that all fingers pointed at Michelle. She had to of taken my keys from inside and then robbed my truck. There was no way that I had left my truck unlocked especially when I was being so careful not to loose or misplace the money. I had to tell Lisa, but I couldn't just accuse.

I am never one to accuse. But if someone walking by randomly went in my truck they would probably take the whole wallet and not turn on the overhead light to go through it and take only what they wanted.

I was unable to have Lisa or my brother or myself confront her that night since it was late and she was already in bed. Lisa was in denial that her cousin would do that.

I slept upstair in Lisa's mom's bed. I cried myself to sleep with a painful lump in my throat and nonstop dwelling of what just had happened. I imagined how furious my dad would be and how that would be the last time I was given any responsibility, I tossed and turned wondering if they would even believe me that is was stolen. I thought of how I would be given the looks of disappointment. I dreaded the next day and I woke up that morning crying.

I was so embarrassed that I had money missing and didn't even want to talk about it. I listened to the response Michelle gave when everyone was asked about my missing money. I knew that it was not going to get a confession and I had no doubt in my mind that Michelle did it.

I was so depressed and embarrassed to tell my dad, and I told him how it had to be Lisa's cousin. He was beyond furious with me and made me feel like crap after he announced to my mom how she wouldn't be receiving a Christmas gift from him since it had been stolen.

Now mom doesn't even get a Christmas gift this year he said as he spread the news to one family member to the next. I was devastated to say the least.

We get a call from my brother that same morning. Apparently, Michelle asked to go home early and my brother drove her the few hours to her home. He asks me how many Best Buy gift cards I had and that were taken from inside my wallet.

"Four of them Why??" He says that Michelle's purse had knocked over and three Best Buy gift cards had fallen out. I started to freak out! "I knew it was her!! Did you take them from her? Did you get my money back?"

I was furious as he tell me that he wasn't sure because it was three cards and not four. He felt bad for dropping her off anyway and not getting to the bottom of it. Lisa was at work and didn't go on the trip to drop Michelle off at home.

She immediately called her and busted her out. Michelle tells her that it wasn't her but asked how much was taken and she would pay it back. We all considered that a confession since most people don't offer to pay back money that they did not take.

Lisa took the responsibility for her cousin's actions and she wrote her off for good, never to speak with her or to have anything to do with her cousin. I bared the blame mostly as Christmas was reminded of the present my mom went without.

Last month, my mom came over to drop off my mail. She is excited to tell me the good news. "Remember years and years ago when I didn't get a Christmas present?" She informs me of how Michelle, Lisa's written off cousin, had contacted her to repay the money she once stole. She told Lisa how it tormented her with regret and how badly she messed up for jepordizing her relationship with her family.

So my mom says, yep we got our $500 dollars back. I wasn't happy to hear that the $400 dollars that my dad gave me turned into $500 dollars and my personal hard earned cash was right beside their money. Not to mention the other $200 dollars in Best Buy gift cards that was part of the proof of who stole the money.

I remind my mom, but this does no good. I think about how I was the ultimate victim that lost sleep and shed many tears over. I was the one blamed and held responsible, yet I wasn't the one that got to be the hero and make it right?

The money was stolen from me, and it would have been nice if Lisa would have returned the money to me and allowed me to redeem myself and come forward with the diamond earrings that were never gifted.

It was even more messed up that the total of $300 dollars in gift card and cash that was swept under the rug like it never happened and she didn't steal my gifts too.

There was no point in arguing with my mom as she insists it was $500 dollars that was stolen and that was the amount my dad had given me.

This was a low blow from everyone. I think of how I want to remind everyone how I was the vicim and I was robbed too. I think about calling up Lisa and asking her why she didn't give me the money since I was the one stolen from, and therefore I could have come up with the missing gift from the burden I bared on my shoulders.

I thought about pressing the fact the $100 dollars at least should rightfully go to me since my dad had only given me $400 dollars. My mom remembered differently and changed the subject quickly as I assumed I was getting a little pay back as well.

Nope. I get nothing. I was the only one that bared pain and tears and lost sleep over the incident, yet nothing to me. That's messed up. Add it to the list of messed up things my parents have done.

My parents are wealthy and I am struggling yet they obviously need the money more than I do.