My aunt has left me her little cottage in the Cotswolds, but my parents are opposed to it. They want me to sell the property, hand the proceeds over to them and keep a share for myself, insisting unequivocally that I have no right to the house.
Sometimes the people closest to you turn out to be your greatest foes.
Its hard to admit, but I feel my parents genuinely despise me. I often think theyre not really my family. I cant say the same about my younger sister, Emily. We could not be more different, and I dread becoming anything like her; I dislike her temperament entirely. Yet my parents have always held her up as a role model.
Emily is only in her eighth year at school, constantly rude to elders and barely caring for herself. I have no one to look up to. Although I was the eldest in the family, Emily buys new clothes while I am left wearing handmedowns she no longer wants.
No one believed we were sisters. I was polite and tidy; she was vulgar and reckless. The only person who truly loved me was my aunt, Margaret, my fathers sister. With no children of her own, she raised me, and honestly she felt closer to me than either my parents or Emily. We spent countless hours together, and she taught me everything I know. I felt safe with Aunt Margaret and never wanted to go home.
Now I can say that my aunt raised me. She was a seamstress who passed her love of stitching on to me. Aunt Margaret was terminally ill, so she never rushed to start a family. When I finished school, she passed away, leaving me her cottage.
The loss of a beloved person still aches, but the inheritance feels like a twist of fate. At last I have a chance to escape this poisonous nest and carve out a quiet life. The only thing that unnerves me is that my father sees himself as the rightful heir to the cottage. I already anticipate a major scandal.
My fears are confirmed when my parents and Emily learn the news. They demand that I sell the house, give them the money and keep a portion for myself, all while proclaiming that I have no claim to the property.
When their arguments fail to sway me, they start pleading for sympathy, reminding me that we are a family. Suddenly the notion of family ties returns to their lips.
My stance is clear: I will sell the cottage, but only to buy a home as far away from them as possible. Even if I were armed, I would not disclose my new address. I deserve a happy life without them.
I want to settle this quickly and begin anew.
