Reese Novel – After two long years of unexplained cold shoulders, cruel dismissals and general abandonment from her siblings, child prodigy Dakoda Reese Di Genova finally reached her breaking point. At the tender age of eight, she made the difficult decision to leave behind her family and Italian roots, embarking on a new journey as Reese. Fast forward a decade, Reese had cemented her place in history. She had buried the past in the same grave she had buried her heartbreak. She had moved on. Her four brothers hadn’t. And it was going to take a lot more than them spewing out the same apologies she too had once offered, in order for her to forgive their everlasting betrayal.
Dakoda POV: Once I reached the four walls that housed the majority of my existence for the past two years, I sprawled out on my bed, and anxiously started to open my mail. There it was. Region of Lombardy- Ministry of Education This is to certify that DAKODA REESE DI GENOVA Has satisfied the graduation requirements of the Italy School System Accordingly, this Lombardy Certificate of Graduation is issued under the authority of the Minister of Education The diploma looked fragile in my small hands. I immediately made a photocopy and stored it in my drive. I put it down after staring at it for a long time. This was an amazing achievement, so why wasn’t I happy? Maybe I should show my brothers, this would make them proud wouldn’t it? I paced up and down my room as I contemplated showing them. I had not made my presence known to them for a long time so I have absolutely no idea how they would react. This is important, right?
They would be happy for me, right? I scoffed and cursed at myself. I cannot believe that I am currently too scared to show my brothers my diploma, it was pathetic. A sudden wave of confidence passed through me and I gently grabbed my diploma and confidently made my way to the main office. As I approached the main office doors hope blossomed in my chest. Maybe they would be happy for me and hug me like they used to. Maybe they would stop and have an actual conversation with me and finally look me in the eyes. Maybe their happiness for me would lead me to getting my family back. I smiled and opened the large, mahogany doors. I regretted my actions immediately. Twenty pairs of eyes snapped my way.
They seemed to be having a meeting, all men, all sitting down at a large conference table, all wearing suits, and all looking my way with curiosity swimming in their eyes. Though four pairs of eyes held a different emotion. Fury. I looked at Alex, who sat at the head of the table, and then shifted my gaze to Gavino, Max and Rocco as they sat at his sides. All four rose and I clutched my diploma closer to my chest. “What do you think you’re doing?” Alex seethed. “I-” I didn’t get to finish. Max made his way over to me and harshly grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of the room. His grip on my arm was so tight I knew there would be a bruise waiting for me later. I winced as he abruptly let go and shoved me into our living room.
I stumbled before regaining my footing and slowly turned to face him. He wasn’t alone. All four of my brothers stood before me with their fists clenched, anger radiating off them in waves. They towered over me with their taller than six foot frames and menacing tattoos that I didn’t realize they had. My heart raced as I stood there utterly still and in that moment I realized that I was scared of them. I was absolutely terrified of my brothers. “You want to explain why you thought it was okay to barge into our office?” Alex started. “I’m- I’m sorry, I just wanted to-” “You just wanted to what huh? We were busy and YOU interrupted. Some of us are not little children who get to sit inside all day and do absolutely nothing. Some of us have to work. Some of us have responsibilities! How dumb are you?” Gavino seethed. I was absolutely appalled. I knew I hadn’t had a proper conversation with my brothers in years but this is not how I remembered them.
I didn’t know who these people were, they were not the brothers I once knew. “Are you just going to stare? We’re talking to you.” Max frowned. “I graduated.” I replied softly, looking at the floor. My diploma was ripped from my hands as they all studied it curiously. I saw their gazes soften for a minute before their hard glares made a reappearance. “So what. Last time I checked we all have diplomas, that isn’t a viable excuse to interrupt our meeting.” Gavino rolled his eyes. “You are acting like a spoilt brat. God, Dakoda there’s a reason why we haven’t looked your way in over two years. Stay out of our office and get out of our sight.” He spit out. When I didn’t move he stepped forward and ripped my diploma. My heart stopped dead in my chest. “Get out Koda.” Rocco looked at me seriously. At fourteen years old he was the least angry out of all of them, but I could still see the contempt in his eyes. He didn’t want me here either. Pain pierced my chest. Tears blurred my vision. I looked at each one of them, studying their faces, looking for any sort of remorse, guilt, love. I didn’t find anything.
I moved to pick up my now ripped diploma but Alex intercepted my path. “He said GET OUT.” He roughly grabbed my shoulder and practically threw me towards the entrance of the living room. He must have overestimated how heavy I was so instead of being pushed a few feet into the entrance, I was shoved right into the glass table that laid past the doors that lead to the living room. The corner of the table pierced my ribs and I cried out in pain. I quickly grabbed my side as I crumpled to the floor and felt blood on my fingertips. I snapped my head towards my brother in shock. Did he just throw me into a glass table? I saw panic and worry swim in his eyes but just as fast as it came it was gone. His face morphed into a blank expression but I could not keep the shock off mine. He continued to look at me with a face of indifference but I could tell he wanted to say something, too bad I now didn’t care enough to listen. I slowly and painfully stood up and moved to head towards my room. Gavino reached to grab me. “Dakod-” I flinched. He looked at me in shock.
I looked him in the eyes and I could see hurt all over his features but frankly I didn’t care. A few tears dripped down my cheeks but I hurriedly wiped them. I would not let any of them see me break, they didn’t deserve anything from me. I walked away from them and made my way back to my room. The second I closed my door, everything hit me at once. I fell to the floor as sobs racked my body. I don’t know how long I sat there crying, but when I finally calmed down a little it was hard to breathe. I walked over to my desk and mentally thanked myself for making a copy of the diploma earlier. I cleaned up the wound on my ribs and bandaged it all up with the first aid kit I had lying on my desk. My mind was racing and I couldn’t get it to stop. Thinking about my ripped diploma and how Alex easily hurt me with seemingly no remorse brought a fresh new wave of tears to my eyes. They took it too far this time, I knew they hated talking to me but now it was painfully clear they just hated me in general.
“There is a reason why we haven’t looked your way in over two years.” I could feel a headache forming so I moved to head over to my bed, but as soon as I turned, my hand knocked over a picture frame on my desk. I watched it fall as it hit the ground hard and immediately shattered into a million pieces. Inwardly cursing my clumsiness, I bent down and picked up the now broken picture frame. After the car accident that took my mom’s life two years ago, my family obviously changed for the worse. I lost my person, my rock, the woman who taught me just how important it is to be a powerful and independent woman that radiates strength. I was utterly lost, just drowning in a pit of my own despair hoping that somebody would save me. I thought my brothers were going to be the ones who ultimately would pull me out of my own head but I quickly figured out how wrong I really was.
They shut me out, they abandoned me, they left a broken six-year-old to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart by herself. I went from spending every moment being loved to every moment being ignored. It was okay though because my mom saved me, her memories, her teachings, her everlasting love saved me. I am done chasing the life I used to have, chasing the brothers that used to love. I am my mother’s daughter and I would be messed before I became a burden to anyone or stayed where I am clearly not wanted. With newfound determination I grabbed my laptop and took a seat at my desk. I started putting together all the pieces I needed to start fresh. Away from this life, away from them.