Families are meant to stick together. Blood should be stronger than water. If we are related to someone, there is a bond. We share a link that should never be broken. Unfortunately, things don't always happen the way they should. In many cases, family members are betraying each other with lies, actions, and injuries.

Lies can hurt. That's the simple truth. It doesn't matter who is telling it, if the wrong person hears it, it could be a problem. As much as we would like for them to, lies won't disappear. They will remain there to haunt us in the deep hollows of our souls.

For many people lying is a way of life. I have members in my family who have told the same lies so much that they actually believe they are true. They convince themselves that it is the truth because they said it was. With those people, you know they are lying when their lips are moving.

My betrayal came from my mother's brother. In most people's eyes, he would be my uncle. As far as I am concerned, he is nothing to me. He was never able to have children and married an older woman who had no kids to speak of. He wanted nothing more than a child so he tried to take one of mine.

The court battle was a heated one. He called the department of Social Services on me every day without fail. The things he and his wife made up were horrible. They said I beat my kids. They said I didn't bathe them. They said I burnt their heads with bug zappers. They said I left my kids alone. He did all he could do to sabotage me but in the end, he did not win custody of my child. The allegations were unfounded. All he did was make sure that he would not see my son again. Now, I can't trust him. I can't forgive him. He turned our world upside down with his lies and we are better off without him.

As far as my son is concerned, he's at home. I offered him the chance to go back around him. My son said no. He said he didn't want to go through all the drama again. I can't really say I blame him much but no matter what he chose, I would stand by him. It isn't about what everyone else wants. It is about my son. If my mother's brother would have realized it, we wouldn't be in the current situation.

I was in total disbelief that my own family would try to sabotage me. This was a rough situation for everyone. My whole family split. They were forced to pick sides. Things were never again the same in my family. We quit celebrating family traditions together. Some of us still avoid the others at all costs.

It is forgivable but it will never be forgettable. After this long, I doubt I could accept it, even if he did apologize. I don't understand why people want to hurt people for no reason, relatives or not. It may be the toughest of all betrayals but you can get past it. I moved on. In my case, the bad guy didn't win. He got exactly what he deserved.

Learn more about this author, Laura Leigh Fields.
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