My sister and I got adopted into a seemingly loving family, but that was all for show. I humiliated my adoptive mother publicly after she treated us so badly.
“I’m sorry, Josh. Our rules at this orphanage state that siblings have to go to the same home. You have to understand that it’s better this way. It’s all for your sake,” Judy, our social workers, told me again.
My sister Denise and I were in the orphanage for a long time. Our parents were killed in a car accident years before, so there wasn’t anyone to take us in. So we went to an orphanage and had been here for longer than almost any other kid.
I heard my sister’s cries and knew that I had to do something. They told us that siblings should get adopted together because we can adjust easier that way.
They told us that siblings should get adopted together because we can adjust easier that way. We thought it was great, but the adoptive parents weren’t keen to have two teenagers.
“I understand, Miss Judy. But it just doesn’t seem like the best idea. I’m already 16, so I’ll age out soon. But Denise is 14. I want her to have a better home,” I explained to our social worker.
“I’m sorry, Josh. But don’t lose faith. I’m sure there’s a family that will take a chance on both of you,” Judy assured me that she was happy. I didn’t share her optimism. The pain of losing hope was almost as bad as any other thing that had happened to us.
“It’s all right, Josh. We’ll age out of the system, and we’ll do better on our own,” Denise was shocked when I told Denise about the conversation with Miss Judy.
Mr. Gardner and Mrs. Gardner were warm, loving people. After a few months passed, Miss Judy was excited to see us again.
A few months went by, and Miss Judy rushed to us excitedly. “Josh! Pack up your stuff and tell your sister. You guys are going home with a wonderful couple!” She exclaimed excitedly.
Denise, Denise, and I packed our stuff and went to the reception of the orphanage. A middle-aged couple was waiting for us. The woman smiled at our warm greetings.
“Mr. and Mrs. Gardner, this is Josh and his little sister, Denise. They’re both bright kids and extremely well-behaved. You guys are going to form a beautiful family,” Miss Judy introduced us.
“I’m sure we will,” Mrs. Gardner started. “Hello there! I’m Courtney Gardner. I don’t know if you’ll feel comfortable calling me ‘Mom’ right now, but I hope I can become a mother figure to both of you.”
“Hello, Mrs. Gardner,” Denise and me spoke in unison.
They hosted a reception for us. Mrs. Gardner said and laughed with Miss Judy.
“Oh! I also hope we don’t have to be so formal in the future,” Mrs. Gardner said and laughed with Miss Judy. Mr. Gardner didn’t say a word to us and seemed bored the entire time. He spoke only to his spouse.
“Let’s go, Courtney. I have to work,” Mr. Gardner finally spoke.
“Of course! Let’s go, kids. Let’s get those bags in the car and go,” As she led us outside, Mrs. Gardner continued. We got in and Mr. Gardner began driving.
“I hope you don’t mind, but we have a reception for you guys at our house. The rest of the family was so excited to meet you, and they couldn’t wait,” While we were passing a lot of houses, Mrs. Gardner spoke. “But if you guys are not comfortable, it’s ok!”
“No, that’s fine,” Denise responded. I could see that she was excited to host a party and meet new people. After several years in the orphanage, it was a great opportunity to have a large family.
Mrs. Gardner was a big fan of the praise and attention she received. Mrs. Gardner smiled at me.
“That’s cool,” I said and smiled at Mrs. Gardner. When we reached their home, a group of people greeted us. Everyone was kind enough to hug and feed us. But it was hard remembering anyone’s name.
After a few hours, I realized something. Mrs. Gardner was praised for inviting us in and it was a great experience. “Courtney, you’re such a saint. These kids are so blessed that you finally decided to adopt,” One guest shared their thoughts with her.
“Of course they are blessed, and we’ll give them the best home they have ever had,” Mrs. Gardner replied to her friend. I didn’t want to read too much into her words, but something was off about the whole experience.
She required us to clear everything and then we changed. Maybe I was too paranoid.
Or maybe, I was too paranoid. The party ended after a few hours, and we didn’t know what to do until Mrs. Gardner appeared in the living room. “Well, what are you doing standing around like that? Time to clean and tidy up this place,” We were told by her.
I assumed she meant we should help. That was fine with me. She sat on the couch and watched television the whole time. She later made Denise rewash the dishes because “they were still dirty” in her opinion.
The warmth in her voice had disappeared completely, and we quickly understood why they adopted us. Mrs. Gardner started treating us like servants in her house, especially Denise. But to the outside world, she was our loving adoptive mother.
Denise begged me not to say anything to Miss Judy.
It was a nightmare, but at least we shared a room. Mr. Gardner ignored us for the most part and didn’t say a word when his wife criticized us for no reason.
“Don’t say anything to Miss Judy, Josh. At least, we have a home here. I don’t want to go back to the orphanage,” Denise told me when I asked her if we should say something and get out of here.
“Ok, I won’t. But as soon as I’m 18, we’re out,” I was able to answer.
Soon Mrs. Gardner began to treat us as servants and became abusive. She was a yelling machine and seemed to hate Denise. I wanted to do something, but I wasn’t sure what.
“Oh, look, honey. We’re in the paper,” One afternoon, Mrs. Gardner spoke to her husband while she was cleaning the house.Source: Pexels Mrs. Gardner allowed Denise to come out the next day and began yelling at her in kitchen. “It’s a rave about us adopting these teenagers and giving them a nice home. This reporter did a great job.”
Denise accidentally broke some wine glasses and got punished.
“What reporter?” Mr. Gardner asked distractedly.
“A reporter I talked to last weekend, at the Hallman’s Children’s Cancer Ball. He was so interested in our story, and here it is. This is going to look amazing on my social media. I’m posting it everywhere,” she explained to her husband.
Crash.
Denise had accidentally dropped two wine glasses on the floor. “LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE, YOU IDIOT!” Mrs. Gardner yelled at Denise.
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Gardner. They slipped,” Denise said and started to tear up.
“THEY SLIPPED? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW EXPENSIVE THESE GLASSES ARE?! THAT’S IT! COME WITH ME!” she screamed again and grabbed Denise’s arm, rushing her to a room they never used.
Mrs. Gardner locked her in a room and didn’t allow me to see her.
“Mrs. Gardner, she didn’t mean it. I’ll get a job and pay for those glasses!” I pleaded.
“SHUT UP!” she yelled at me and closed the door.
“Mr. Gardner, please do something!” I begged our adoptive father to intervene. He looked up from his phone, stood up, and grabbed his keys.
“Not my place,” he said and left the house.
I couldn’t hear what was going on inside that room, except for Mrs. Gardner yelling. She came out a few minutes later and locked the door. “You’re not sleeping in the same room anymore. Do not touch this door, or I’ll send you both back to where you came from,” she threatened.
That sounded like a great idea to me, but then, I heard Denise’s cries inside the room. It would not be enough to go back to the orphanage. This woman needed to pay for her actions. Luckily, I had an idea. She would not keep us separated for long.
I recorded our adoptive mother’s abuse and sent it to the reporter.
The next day, Mrs. Gardner let Denise come out and started yelling at her in the kitchen. My sister cleaned and cleaned, but it was not enough. I was able to record everything secretly thanks to a school friend.
My friend helped me contact the same reporter that had raved about the Gardners and their “fantastic” parenting and I sent the recording. The journalist quickly retracted his article, and the video was uploaded to his website. It quickly spread via social media.
I also called Miss Judy, and told her all. “YOU CAN’T TAKE THESE KIDS AWAY FROM ME! I’M A GOOD PERSON. THAT VIDEO WAS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT!” When Miss Judy picked us up, Mrs. Gardner shouted at her.
At 18 I had my parents’ house back and Denise moved in with me. Miss Judy stated it firmly.
“Ma’am. If you don’t let them go, I will call the police. Is that what you want? Because your reputation in this town is already over,” Miss Judy said firmly. I had never seen her this mad.
Finally, we returned to the orphanage where we waited until my 18th birthday. Miss Judy helped me get the paperwork together, and I moved back to our parents’ home. Denise was also given to me.
Although the Gardners moved to another place, they refused to adopt or abuse any more children.
What lessons can we draw from this story?
- Sometimes appearances can be misleading. The Gardners did charity work and seemed like saints, and that’s why no one noticed how horrible they were to the children.
- Admit to abuse. Don’t allow others to abuse you and the people you love. Stand up to bullies and don’t let them get away with it.
This story can be shared with friends. This story might bring joy to their lives and encourage them.