My mum and my sister only ever saw me as a cash machinethey never really bothered to get to know me. I grew up in a family that felt nothing like a proper home. There were just three of us: my mum, my older sister, and me. My dad? A ghost from the past, just a name on my birth certificate. I never knew him, and whenever I tried to bring him up, my mum would change the subject, like his very existence was taboo.
So it was just us threeme, my mum, and my sister, Emily. She was five years older, but honestly, it always felt like the roles were reversed. I was the mature, responsible one, while she was the spoiled princess of the house.
Mum adored her. Emily always got the nicest clothes, the most expensive gifts, everything she wanted. Me? I had to make do with her hand-me-downs, worn-out and always too big. I still remember those jumpers with sleeves so long Mum would roll them up awkwardly, saying, Itll do for another year or two.
Dinner? If Emily was hungry, she could have seconds, thirds, whatever. But if I dared ask for more, Id get a sharp reminder that Mum was already sacrificing enough for us.
Birthdays? Christmas? None of that really existed for me. No presents, no affection. Just my mums sighs, always making me feel like I was just another burden on her tired shoulders.
I figured out one thing early on: I wasnt a child to her. Just a problem.
The day I became their personal ATM
By sixteen, Id already realised no one was coming to help me. Mum and Emily were an unbreakable team, and I was on the outside.
So I started working. After school, weekends, whenever I could. I did everythingpaper rounds at dawn, wiping tables in a café, hauling boxes at a supermarket.
And despite the exhaustion, I was proud. For the first time, I had my own money.
But to my mum, that was a different story.
So, youre earning now? she asked one evening, with this weirdly sweet smile.
I nodded, not realising what was coming.
She put a hand on my shoulder. Time you started contributing to the household.
By household, she meant her and Emily.
My sister never even considered getting a job. Why would she? Her whole life, someone had always taken care of herfirst Mum, now it was supposed to be me.
Leaving was my only choice
When I finished sixth form, I knew there was only one way out: getting as far away as possible.
There was a uni in our town, but I deliberately picked one hundreds of miles away. It wasnt just about studyingit was survival.
When I told Mum I was leaving, her face went icy.
Youre abandoning us? After everything Ive done for you?
I nearly laughed.
I moved into a tiny uni dorm. For the first time in my life, I felt free. I kept workingthis time as a porter at a train station. It was gruelling, but the pay was decent. I could finally buy proper clothes, treat myself to a coffee without feeling guilty.
Mum and Emily? They never called. Never asked if I was okay, if I had enough to eat, if I was managing.
But when I came home for Christmas, the first thing Mum said wasnt How are you? or We missed you.
She looked me up and down and said, Looks like youve got money now.
Not a question. An accusation.
From then on, every visit turned into a never-ending negotiation. They needed cash. Emily wanted a new phone, new clothes. They didnt askthey demanded.
When I told my sister to get a job, she laughed.
Me? Work? Are you serious?
The inheritance that changed everything
After uni, I landed a steady job. Then, one day, something unexpected happened: my company offered me a staff flat.
Not a palace, but my own space.
When Mum and Emily found out, they lost it.
Youve got a flat?! And you didnt give us anything?!
I tried explaining it was provided by my employer. They werent having it.
Then, fate stepped in one last time.
My grandadMums dadpassed away.
I wasnt close to him, but hed always been the only one in my family to treat me with even a shred of respect.
When the solicitor read the will, I couldnt believe it.
Hed left me his house and land.
When Mum and Emily found out, they went ballistic.
This isnt fair! Emily screamed. Ive got a kid! I need that house!
By then, shed married, had a baby, and divorced. Now she expected me to sell my inheritance and hand her the money.
But Id already made up my mind.
When I told them, they exploded.
Mum called me selfish.
Emily cried, yelled, called me an ungrateful brother.
I let them calm down. Then I said, steady as anything:
Im selling the house. But Im using the money to buy a bigger flat. Because Im married. And my wifes expecting.
Total silence.
They werent happy for me. Didnt ask about my family.
All that mattered was they werent getting what they wanted.
That was the last time we spoke.
The family I chose
I sold the house and bought a bigger place for my family.
Mum and Emily?
Theyve never met my son. Never tried to.
But you know what?
I dont miss them.
For the first time in my life, I know what a real family feels like.
And Ill never let my child go through what I did.
