My "holy" parents stole my laptop, lied about it for 2 years, and wiped it to "exorcise" my identity. I’m finally done.
I (22) finally have proof that I haven’t been "crazy" or "irresponsible" for the last two years. I've been gaslighted by the people who claim to be the most "godly" people I know.
The Theft and the 24-Month Lie
Two years ago, while I was a working student, I came home from an onsite shift to find my laptop missing. This wasn't a gift from them; it was a college gift from my Lolo (Grandfather). My mother calmly told me she had already sold it. I argued, I cried, and I begged, but she stood her ground. For 730 days, I lived with the guilt of "losing" my grandfather’s gift, believing it was sold for "the lowest price possible" to help the family.
The Sudden "Resurrection"
I recently started a WFH job. The tension in the house has been high because my 19-year-old sister—who acts as my mother’s "flying monkey" and mimics her need for control—constantly locks me out of the shared home PC and mocks my work struggles. To "stop the noise," my mother suddenly produced my laptop from her room. It was never sold. It was sitting a few feet away from me for two years while they watched me struggle.
The "Cleanse"
The laptop was completely reformatted. My mother’s justification? "We reformatted the laptop with whatever disgusting thing you have on there." They didn't just delete files; they attempted to delete my history. Gone are the photos of me and my friends, the assignments I worked so hard on, and my personal memories. Because I am gay and refuse to join their "scam" of a church (where the pastor’s face is literally on the merchandise), they see me as "the devil." The wipe wasn't for "security"—it was a digital exorcism.
The Surveillance State
My father is an IT professional. He’s always the one "fixing" our phones and internet. I’ve always been curious about how he does it, which led me to research tech myself just so I wouldn't have to rely on him. Now, I’m terrified of what keyloggers or "spy software" he might have installed while they had my laptop in their possession.
The Escape Plan
I’m currently "Grey Rocking" them. Every day, I take my laptop and work my shifts from my cousin’s house nearby—my only sanctuary. I’m saving every cent with a goal of $5,000 to ensure I can leave and never look back.
I’m done being a "project" for them to debug or a soul for them to "save" through theft and gaslighting. I’m just a 22-year-old trying to secure a future they tried to delete.