**15th June**
The day I turned fifteen, my parents decided they absolutely needed another child. The moment my brother arrived, everything changed. Overnight, I became his primary caretakerchanging nappies, preparing meals, soothing his endless crying. My parents worked full-time, and even when they were home, their patience was thin. If dishes piled up or laundry went unironed, I was scolded for laziness. “The washing machine does the washing, the dishwasher cleanswhat do *you* do all day?” my father would snap.
School suffered. Exhausted, I barely had time for homework. Teachers, pitying me, passed me with threesjust enough to scrape by but never enough to satisfy my parents. The only relief came when my brother started nursery. For a few precious hours each afternoon, I could breathe. I studied harder, desperate to prove myself, but my dreams of studying biology were dismissed outright. “The universitys in the city centretwo hours commuting! When will you fetch your brother? When will you help here?”
So, I enrolled at the nearest vocational college, training as a pastry chef. At first, I hated it. But slowly, I found joy in bakingthe precision of measuring, the magic of watching dough rise. By my second year, I took a part-time job at a local café. My parents grumbled, but for the first time, I had something of my own.
Then I met James, the new head chef. We started seeing each other late after shifts, but my parents erupted. My father even turned up at work to drag me home. Then came the final blowa family meeting, my aunt smugly announcing shed secured me a job at my brothers school canteen. “Youll quit the café,” my father ordered. “No more distractions until your brother finishes school.”
That night, I told James everything. Hed been saving to open his own place, but we needed a loan. When the bank refused, a friend offered him a position in Manchester. We took the chance. On my last day at the café, I went home early, packed my things, and left.
Now, Im building a life *I* choose. I dont resent my parents, but I couldnt stay. Some days, I miss my brother terriblyI hope one day hell understand. But for now, this is my freedom. And I wont let anyone take it from me again.
