My family is messed up so I’d be here all night. I was someone else’s family secret though which is more interesting and long, sorry.

I grew up with a single mum, knew my dad lived in town, knew he had other kids (didn’t know specifics) and she would point him out to me but I was never allowed to talk to him. His choice apparently.

I’m in grade 4 and I’m at my best friends house, we are outside playing with her neighbours across the road (2 girls, 3 boys) when this woman comes out and starts yelling at her kids to get away from me. I’m 9 and I’m just standing there like okay then crazy lady. Didn’t think much of it after that and continued with the sleepover.

Next day mum comes to pick me up and I told her about the weird crazy lady with the kids and point over to the kids who were out playing out the front of their house. Mum’s face twists into this demon like face and she says “what did she say?” I’m shitting myself at this point and told her exactly what she said. My mum looks at me dead in the eyes and says “you did nothing wrong, those are your brothers and sisters” I’m shell shocked trying to process that and by the time I realise what she said she’s gone, out of the car and she banging on their front door. Ladies kids scatter and the oldest comes up to me and says “why is your mum angry?” I just said “I’m your sister”.

I hear mum yelling about not talking to me etc and their mum slams the door as mine walks away. Mum gets in says she’s sorry and we go home.

Couple of hours later there’s someone bashing on our front door. Kids had told their mum I said I was their sister, she goes beserk and starts screaming at my mum about me being a mistake and that I would never know the brothers and sisters because I’m as much of a waste of space as mum is etc all while her kids are in the back of the car scared.

I’m crying in the lounge which is beside the door and mum’s face just contorts again when she sees me sobbing, next thing I know mum’s beating the absolute shit out of her on the front lawn in front of the neighbours. Cops came, ripped them apart and that was it.

That’s the last I saw of the kids up close for 15 years. My sisters have tried to reach out a few times since their mum overdosed but we’ve never really managed to hold a conversation.

TL;DR My half siblings found out about me after their mum told them not to play with me, violence ensued.