**Diary Entry 12th May**
Ive always known that my mother and sister saw me as little more than a walletnever truly caring about who I was or what I felt.
I grew up in a house, not a home. There were just three of us: my mother, my older sister, and me. My father? A ghost from the past, a name scribbled on my birth certificate and nothing more. I never knew him. Whenever I dared ask, my mother would change the subject, as if his existence was something shameful.
So it was just usme, Mum, and my sister, Eleanor. She was five years older, yet somehow, it always felt like I was the grown-up. Eleanor was the golden child, the one who could do no wrong.
Mum adored her. Eleanor got the finest clothes, the most expensive gifts, anything her heart desired. Me? I made do with her hand-me-downsfaded, worn, always too big. I still remember those jumpers with sleeves rolled awkwardly because Mum insisted theyd do for another year or two.
Dinner? If Eleanor was hungry, she could take second helpings, thirds, whatever she wanted. If I asked for a little extra, I was sharply reminded how much Mum already sacrificed for us.
Birthdays? Christmas? They didnt exist for me. No presents, no warmthjust my mothers sighs, a constant reminder that I was nothing but a burden.
I learned one thing early: I wasnt her child. I was just an inconvenience.
**The Day I Became Their Cash Cow**
By sixteen, Id accepted that no one was coming to save me. Mum and Eleanor were an unbreakable team, and I was the outsider.
So I started working. After school, weekends, whenever I could. I did every odd jobpaper rounds at dawn, wiping tables in a café, stacking shelves at the supermarket. And despite the exhaustion, I was proud. For the first time, the money was mine.
But Mum saw it differently.
So, youre earning now, are you? shed asked one evening, with that unsettlingly sweet smile.
I nodded, oblivious to what was coming.
She rested a hand on my shoulder.
Its time you contributed to the household.
By household, she meant her and Eleanor.
My sister never bothered looking for work. Why would she? Someone had always taken care of herfirst Mum, and now, apparently, me.
**Escape Was My Only Choice**
When I finished school, I knew there was only one way out: leave.
There was a university in our town, but I deliberately picked one hundreds of miles away. It wasnt just about educationit was survival.
When I told Mum, her face turned to ice.
Youre abandoning us? After everything Ive done for you?
I nearly laughed.
I moved into a tiny student flat. For the first time, I tasted freedom. I kept workingthis time as a porter at a train station. It was gruelling, but the pay was decent. I bought proper clothes, treated myself to a coffee without guilt.
Mum and Eleanor? They never called. Never asked if I was eating, if I was okay.
But when I visited at Christmas, Mums first words werent How are you? or We missed you.
She looked me up and down and said, Seems youve got money now.
It wasnt a question. It was an accusation.
Every visit after that became a battle. They needed cashEleanor wanted a new phone, new outfits. They didnt ask; they demanded.
When I suggested my sister get a job, she laughed.
Me? Work? Are you serious?
**The Inheritance That Changed Everything**
After uni, I landed a steady job. Then, unexpectedly, my company offered me a staff flat.
It wasnt grand, but it was mine.
When Mum and Eleanor found out, they were furious.
Youve got a flat?! And youve given us nothing?!
I tried explaining it was tied to my job. They didnt care.
Then fate dealt one final blow.
My grandfatherMums fatherpassed away. I wasnt close to him, but hed been the only one who treated me with any decency.
When the will was read, I could hardly believe it.
Hed left me his house and land.
Mum and Eleanor lost their minds.
Its not fair! Eleanor shrieked. Ive got a child! I need that house!
Shed married, had a baby, divorcednow she expected me to sell and hand her the money.
But my mind was made up.
When I told them, they exploded. Mum called me selfish. Eleanor screamed, cried, called me an ungrateful brother.
I waited for the storm to pass. Then, calmly, I said:
Im selling the house. But Im using the money to buy a bigger place. Because Im married. And my wife is expecting.
Silence.
No congratulations. No interest in my family.
All that mattered was they didnt get what they wanted.
That was the last time we spoke.
**The Family I Chose**
I sold the house, moved into a spacious flat with my family.
Mum and Eleanor?
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 real family feels like.
And Ill never let my child go through what I did.
