Betrayal: Kyle's Revenge (The Betrayal Series) (26 page)
Read Betrayal: Kyle's Revenge (The Betrayal Series) Online
Authors: Sofia Velardi
The End.
Epilogue
The video Brianna uploaded to YouTube went viral fast. Within hours, it garnered tens of millions of views. Brianna was overwhelmed by the response. She had expected some people to watch it and maybe get something out of it, but she was not prepared for the onslaught of love and support she received from people all over the world.
But like with everything on the internet, there were negative reactions too. Some of the comments made on the YouTube page were right down rude and nasty, but Brianna took it all in stride. Overall, the response was very positive, and Brianna did not regret making or posting the video on the internet. A few days after Brianna uploaded it, someone reposted the video with subtitles in several different languages, and the video became even more popular.
The media, as expected, began to hound Briana about it from day one. Her publicist was bombarded with interview requests from all over the world, but Brianna was not interested in talking to anyone no matter how respected or popular the interviewer was. She felt she had said everything she needed to say about the subject matter on the video.
The person who subtitled the video also transcribed Brianna’s words and posted the transcript online:
Hi. My name is Brianna Garrett. I’m an actress, but you may know me from seeing my face on the news lately. I had promised myself that after that trial I wasn’t going to talk about this subject anymore. But then I thought about all the young girls and boys out there who may be going through the same things I went through eight years ago. I thought about how they may be suffering in silence like I did. So I decided to make this video for them.
Many people have asked me why I ran away from home instead of going to the police when that pastor began to force himself on me. I will tell you why. I grew up in a very conservative, religious town where people, including my own parents, believed that people like me were deviant, depraved, the spawn of Satan.
I felt that if I had gone to the police, no one would have believed me. Patrick Miller was a highly respected member of the community, and given how much the authorities in my town hated people like me, there’s no way anyone would have thought I was telling the truth. And even if they had believed my story, they probably wouldn’t have done anything about it. They would have told me I deserved what was happening to me because I was a sick fuck and Miller wouldn’t have been punished.
If I had accused Miller of raping me, he would’ve been furious and would have punished me for it. With no one to protect me, I’m sure things would have gotten a lot worse for me if I had spoken up. I couldn’t take that chance. So I kept my mouth shut and got as far away from him as possible the first chance I got.
With the help of my little brother and a dear friend, I packed a bag, got on a Greyhound bus, and came here to California. I love it here. Californians are much more open-minded and accepting than the residents of Glen Falls, Montana. I’m thankful that my civil rights are respected here, and I’m grateful that I don’t have to feel ashamed or live in fear here.
I grew up believing I was not worthy of love just because I was attracted to girls and not boys. Growing up, I didn’t flaunt who I was, but I didn’t hide it either. Everyone knew I was gay, including my parents. My parents pretended they didn’t know, but they did. They’ve always known. They couldn’t hide their shame of me or their disdain for me. I was the child they didn’t want to be seen with and the child they wouldn’t talk to their friends about.
At first, I believed something was wrong with me for liking girls, and I prayed to God to make me normal. I desperately wanted my parents to love me and be proud of me like they were of my brother. I cried a lot because I couldn’t change who I was. I was also very lonely.
But then I went through my rebellious teen phase and said to hell with everyone. I started to pretend my parents’ hatred didn’t hurt, but it did. How could it not? Up until recently, I convinced myself that no one could ever love me because my own parents didn’t love me. I chided away from relationships, afraid to get my heart broken. But then I met someone who helped me understand I was not some defective freak who was destined to die alone. This incredible woman loves me in spite of all my flaws and insecurities. She has taught me to love myself, and I’m grateful that I have her in my life.
I’m making this video because I know there are young girls and boys out there feeling exactly like I did eight years ago: worthless, hopeless, afraid, ashamed. I’m here to tell you that you shouldn’t be. There is nothing wrong with you. You are not broken. You are not sick. You don’t need to be rehabilitated.
You are perfect just the way you are, and if some people cannot see that, it’s their loss. I want you all to know you have a friend in me. If you need someone to talk to, contact me privately through my social media accounts. I will listen to you and will try to help you with anything you need. If there is someone right now trying to cure you like they tried to cure me, speak up. Don’t suffer in silence like I did.
If no one believes you, I will. I will do everything in my power to get you out of that situation. If you need to get away, I will open my home to you. I’m not bullshitting. Always remember: You cannot change who you are. You can’t help who you love, and you are worth loving, every single one of you. Hang in there guys. I’m here for you. Always will be. Thanks for watching.
DEAR READER
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If you enjoyed it, I would really appreciate it if you recommended it to people you know and leave a review. If you write a review, let me know via email at
[email protected]
and I’ll thank you with a personal email.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Part 1 of the
Betrayal Series: Abby’s Guilt
and part 2:
Brianna’s Secret
available now.
Follow me on social media
Sofia Velardi on
Facebook
Sofia Velardi on
Twitter
Table of Contents
