The Fairytale of The Scapegoated Child

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Chessie. She had an older sister, Goldie, and they lived with their mum and dad in a house in a small village.

Chessie was a curious child who loved animals and adored her family. She enjoyed playing games and exploring. More than anything, she wanted a dog, but one day her parents brought home a cat. Chessie didn't mind, as she loved cats too. The cat was a large ginger one who lived outside. It loved food and sometimes snuck into the kitchen to steal a bite of the family's meals.

One day, Chessie's dad got angry and struck the cat. It ran away, and Chessie was heartbroken, especially because she had heard the sound of the blow. Chessie knew what it felt like to be hit, for she, too, was sometimes punished this way.

Chessie believed she was a naughty child. She tried to be good, but she never felt as well-behaved as Goldie, who always seemed perfect. Chessie also thought she wasn’t pretty, because no one ever told her she was. Goldie, on the other hand, was the pretty one. She was also the smart one, and as her older sister, Chessie often did what Goldie said. Chessie wanted her parents to love her as much as they loved Goldie, and she longed to be friends with her sister.

As Chessie grew older, she became sad. No matter how hard she tried, she always seemed to do something wrong. Her mum and dad often spoke of being good and bad. Chessie worked hard to show her love for them by trying to be good, but nothing ever seemed to make a difference.

On Chessie’s birthday, her parents asked what she wanted to do. She eagerly said she wanted to visit Super Fun Play Land to swim in the pool and zoom down the water slides. On the day of her birthday, the whole family piled into the car and drove to the park—only to find it closed. Chessie burst into tears. Her parents scolded her, telling her it was silly to cry, and that she was spoiled, since many children had nothing for their birthdays. Goldie laughed at Chessie for being sad.

As Chessie grew older, her sadness turned into anger. Her parents and Goldie were always right, and Chessie was always wrong. She decided that if she was going to be punished anyway, she might as well stop trying to be good. But even so, Chessie wasn’t good at being bad. She still worked hard at school and still tried to earn her family's love. When that didn't work, she retreated to her room and dreamed of a life beyond her family’s expectations.

Chessie imagined living in a distant land, where there were wide-open spaces and many animals. A place where maybe she wouldn’t feel “bad” all the time.

And one day, she did grow up. Chessie met a handsome prince who lived in a faraway land, in a small wooden cabin nestled in the woods. It was a peaceful, quiet place, and Chessie realized that she wasn’t always wrong. In fact, it felt like magic—the magic of becoming the person she had always wanted to be. She became a beautiful, kind princess, laughed often, and was loved deeply by her prince. Chessie even got two cats of her own, and the prince was kind to them, never once hurting them.

But Chessie still longed for her family to see her as the good person she had become. She called her parents and Goldie every week, but Goldie rarely returned her calls. Chessie invited Goldie to her wedding in the woods to marry the prince, but Goldie didn’t come. Her parents attended, but they were angry when Chessie didn’t spend all her time with them.

Though Chessie and her prince lived happily in the woods, she still felt sadness. She sought the advice of a wise woman who told her that she wasn’t bad, and perhaps her family wasn’t being very nice to her.

Chessie moved to a cabin in the woods in a far away land.

This confused Chessie. She couldn’t understand why her parents and Goldie called her bad if she wasn’t. She tried talking to her parents about it, but they denied saying anything of the sort. Chessie became more confused and angry.

As she spoke with Goldie, she noticed troubling things—Goldie was taking other people's belongings and saying it was okay. Chessie was sure this was wrong, for their parents had always taught them right from wrong. But when Chessie told their parents about it, they sided with Goldie. Chessie grew sad, angry, and increasingly confused. She didn’t know what to believe anymore.

One day, Chessie’s sadness became so overwhelming that she couldn’t face her handsome prince or the life she had built. She had nightmares and wondered why everything her parents and Goldie had ever taught her now felt upside down.

For a long time, Chessie didn’t leave her house. Her prince grew worried but reassured her that everything would be okay. Chessie continued to talk to her parents, but one day, they refused to speak to her at all.

Chessie cried, but the next day, something changed. She began to feel a little better. She remembered how much her prince loved her, and how much her cats loved her, and how peaceful her little cabin in the woods was. Little by little, Chessie began to feel brighter. She started to venture outside, feeling the warmth of the sun and walking in the woods.

Then, one day, her parents called. Chessie felt sadness wash over her, but then she became angry. She asked why they wouldn’t speak to her, but they didn’t give her an answer. They simply said they were her family and loved her, and Chessie should love them too. She agreed that she should love them, but she couldn’t understand why their love felt so different from the love her prince showed her.

As time passed, Chessie began to worry less about her family. Instead, she found strength in the love of her prince, her cats, and the peaceful life she had created. She realized that when her parents refused to speak to her, she felt… okay. It was sad, yes, but it also felt freeing. Chessie’s spark began to return, and her life in the woods felt full of light.

So, Chessie spoke to her family less and less. Over time, she realized that the more distance she kept, the better she felt. Her prince noticed this too, and they were both happier.

Chessie knew her relationship with her family wasn’t perfect, but she tried one last time. She wrote them a letter, saying she loved them, but she needed a life where she felt loved, free, and safe. She hoped they could be part of that life too.

And guess what? Chessie’s parents never wrote back.

Did Chessie live happily ever after? Not always. But with the help of her prince, she decided to help others who had families like hers. And that made her feel good. As did her cats.

The end.

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p.s. Wishing you your own version of happy ever after- it does exist.

Much love,

Chess xxx