Two days before leaving for college, Daniel finally decided to put his plan into action. He decided to reveal to his family that he was gay, hoping they would kick him out. He wanted to prove to his mother's lawyer that he was telling the truth, as he had never been believed when he accused his adoptive family of abuse.
The story was indeed hard to believe. Daniel attended a prestigious private school, which his parents had paid for until his senior year before they passed away. He owned a beautiful motorcycle that had belonged to his deceased father. The eldest of the Simson family coveted it, but luckily it was parked in the garage of the Foster family, Jackson's family.
Despite all this, Daniel lacked nothing and showed no signs of torture or abuse, which was interpreted by the lawyer as a lie on the young man's part. Finally, the young child he once was.
"I have something to tell you," Daniel announced, while the whole family was gathered at the table.
"What?" replied the father of the family, his protruding belly and food-stained face. "Can't you see we're eating?"
"Yes, I see. I'm not blind," Daniel replied.
"Look at him, trying to be clever," teased the eldest of the family. At 34, he still lived with his parents. "Orphans have no say in this house," he added.
"Maybe if I didn't have a mouth or if I was deaf. But unfortunately for you, I can speak, so I speak," declared Daniel.
"Then speak," commanded the mother of the family. "And it better be worth it."
"It depends," Daniel replied. "It's important to me, but maybe not to you."
"Come on, spit it out!" Johnny urged impatiently. He was actually the only bearable member of the family, but that didn't necessarily make him likeable.
"I'm gay," the boy said. A heavy silence fell over the room. The mother, a devout religious woman, had a deep aversion to the LGBT community. She had even stopped watching Grey's Anatomy because of the gay characters on the show.
"What?" she exclaimed, almost choking on her food. "Gay?"
"Yes," Daniel replied, rolling his eyes. "Gay. Queer, if you prefer. I'm attracted to men. They penetrate me, well, you get the idea," he added with a smile. He already knew what his family's reaction would be.
The mother threw her plate at Daniel, who ended up covered in food and blood. Everything was going according to plan.
"Why did you do that?" the boy cried, realizing that the lawyer was already there. Having orchestrated the whole show, Dan was silently jubilant.
"Why?" the mother repeated, as her children looked at Daniel with disgust. Johnny seemed sad. "I don't accept homosexuals in this house. Get out!" she ordered. "Leave this house and never come back."
"No one is leaving!" the lawyer intervened. "Madame Annabelle, can you explain to me what is going on here?"
"No one is going anywhere!" The lawyer exclaimed. "Madame Annabelle, can you explain to me what is happening here?"
"Oh, Master." Trying to remain calm. "Come in." She invited him to sit down but the lawyer refused.
"Can you tell me what's going on?"
"Well, Master, do you believe that this... " she searched for the right word to insult Daniel. "...filthy kid is gay?"
"And how is that a problem, Madame Annabelle ?"
"Call me Anny, Master," she declared. "I don't like that name."
"As you wish, Madame Anny."
"Thank you." Regaining her composure, she added, "So, what's the problem? Master..." as if it were an absurd question. "It's an abomination. A sin. Aren't you a Christian, Master?"
"I am," he replied.
"Then you should understand me."
"No. I don't understand you, Madame Anny."
"You don't understand something as simple as this," she exclaimed. "Leviticus 18:22: 'You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.' - Leviticus 20:13: 'If a man lies with a man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them.' - 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: 'Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.' " Madame Anny quoted. "This is divine law, God decreed it, and it is irrevocable."
"Madame Anny, I am very familiar with all these details. I know these verses by heart. But how does the boy being gay or not concern you?"
"Because he lives under my roof. And I do not tolerate that in my home."
"No, Madame Anny. It is you who live under his roof," the lawyer retorted, pointing at Daniel. "And it's not up to him to leave, but to you. It's not up to you to tolerate, it's the other way around." The mother was stunned, realizing that she had long forgotten that this house did not belong to her.
"But... he's my son. Our son," she pleaded, looking at her husband for support, but he continued eating without reacting.
"He's not your son, Mrs. Anny. You are his legal guardian, not his adoptive mother. Now that he is an adult, he is in control of his choices and his life," the lawyer declared. "And he has the right to evict you from this house."
"You can't do this. It's not fair," she stammered. "I raised this child. I fed him. I clothed him..." She was about to list everything she had done for the boy, but the lawyer thankfully interrupted her.
"It's the law, Mrs. Anny, and the law grants him this right, as you yourself mentioned... it's irrevocable."
"But..." she wanted to argue further, but she realized there was nothing more to say. Well, she could always find something to say, but she couldn't silence the lawyer.
Mrs. Anny was far from realizing that the lawyer was married to a bailiff, as same-sex marriage was legal in their country, he was married to a man and was a staunch advocate for the LGBT community. Moreover, she was unaware that the boy in question had called the lawyer that day.
The lawyer immediately understood the little trap the boy had set. But this did not erase the suspicions of abuse towards the boy by the Simson family.
Without wasting any time, the lawyer made the decision to call the prosecutor while Mrs. Simone took care of Daniel's injuries.