Hey this has been weighing on me for a while and I think it’s time to get it off my chest the whole situation with my family was beyond frustrating but I never expected it would end up like this I’m still kind of in shock honestly so sit back because this is going to be one of those you won’t believe it stories first a little bit about me my name’s Oliver and I’m the older sibling growing up I always felt like the one who had to do the heavy lifting in our family while my younger brother Liam got away with everything I’m 26 now working a regular

9 to five job and I’m still figuring things out but i’ve always been the reliable one I don’t mind it honestly I was taught that hard work pays off even if it’s a slow burn Liam on the other hand is 22 and let’s just say he’s never been a fan of hard work if there’s one thing Liam knows how to do it’s how to manipulate situations in his favor and somehow he’s always managed to get everything handed to him on a silver platter whether it’s new gadgets designer clothes or trips our parents were always quick to give him what he

Wanted meanwhile I was left to do the boring stuff things like taking care of the house running errands and doing all the work that they didn’t feel like dealing with our parents dad and mom were strict when it came to me they always told me I had to earn my place and that life wasn’t going to be easy it was their favorite line honestly I never really understood why they treated me differently than Liam they’d always say they wanted me to be responsible and level-headed which fine I get that but it was always on their terms if they

Needed something done it was me they’d turn to if there was a big decision to be made I had to take the lead but when it came to Liam he was treated like some kind of Prince no matter what he did it was always like he could do no wrong this Dynamic was something I learned to deal with over the years sure I didn’t get all the flashy things but I had something they didn’t Independence I had a job at 16 I worked my way through school and i’ve always managed to keep things together but Liam he never lifted a finger it drove me crazy seeing how

They’d bend over backward for him but things really started to h!t the fan around his graduation it was a big deal for our parents they made it out to be some kind of grand achievement Liam had barely passed his classes I mean he scraped by he never put in the effort but they were so proud of him and what did I get well you’ll find out the day of the graduation celebration we had a small Gathering nothing extravagant but they sure made it sound like the world was watching they had a cake with his name on it balloons everywhere and all

Sorts of decorations it was as if this was the most important day of the year and for them I guess it was I don’t want to sound bitter but it’s hard not to when you’ve been in my position it was like they were so focused on Liam that they didn’t even consider the things I’d done I kept things running smoothly around the house I helped pay bills when Dad’s job didn’t cover everything I dealt with the grocery shopping the laundry and all the other stuff that comes with keeping a household together and then came the presents Liam had

Gotten his shiny new car a present our parents had barely been able to afford in fact I later found out they had taken out a loan to cover the cost I wasn’t angry about the car itself but the fact that they couldn’t afford it yet they still went ahead and bought it for him well that part stung especially when they barely acknowledged the sacrifices I’d made then it was my turn I tried to push the feelings aside I didn’t want to be that guy the one who complains just because he doesn’t get a shiny gift but what I got was to put it lightly a slap

In the face I sat down on the couch waiting for my turn trying to hide the anxiety bubbling up inside me it was like I already knew what was coming mom smiled at me but it wasn’t the warm loving smile I was used to it felt different almost condescending in a way Oliver she said her voice soft almost too sweet we know you’re so responsible and we just wanted to make sure you have what you need for your future we thought this would be practical I tried to smile back trying to mask the frustration Building inside me I didn’t want to seem

Ungrateful but I was already bracing myself for disappointment I had to keep it together that handed me a small box it felt light and when I opened it I wasn’t prepared for what I saw inside the box was a stack of household cleaning supplies paper towels sponges dish soap and the like my heart s there were no words no words from me at least I stared at the contents for a few seconds my mind trying to process it Mom Dad I started but my voice faltered what is this Dad chuckled slapping his knee well Oliver now you can be even more

Useful around the house you’ve always been so responsible and this is just another way to show how much you contribute I blinked trying to understand was this a joke Liam sitting next to me was grinning ear to ear he looked at me with this smug almost mocking expression yeah olly now you can keep things nice and clean you always seem to be the one doing the chores anyway my stomach churned I knew this was going to be bad but I didn’t expect it to sting this much they were giving my brother a brand new car a car and me

Cleaning supplies I swallowed hard but my throat felt tight like I was choking on something I couldn’t quite name I stood up not wanting to sit there any longer not wanting to look at the pile of cleaning supplies in front of me I’m going to head out for a bit I said my voice cold I need some air without waiting for a response I grabbed my jacket packed a bag and left the house I didn’t know what I was hoping for but I didn’t want to be there anymore I could hear my parents calling after me but I didn’t look back I don’t know how long I

Walked that night but it felt like hours I just kept putting one foot in front of the other not really caring where I was going it wasn’t until I reached a small bench near near the park that I finally stopped to sit down my mind racing I should have been furious and I was but I was also tired tired of always being the responsible one tired of being the one to do everything right only to get ignored or dismissed I took out my phone scrolling through a few messages from friends trying to distract myself from

The mess that had just happened I didn’t even want to go back home but where else could I go the house was all I had even though it felt more like a prison than a place of comfort I finally decided deed to call a cab to take me to a friend’s place just to get some space when I got there I told my friend Jake everything that happened Jake listened quietly but I could see the frustration in his eyes he knew what I’d been going through with my family you don’t deserve that Oliver Jake said you’ve been busting your ass

For years and they they just keep using you you’re not a damn maid I let out a sigh feeling the weight of the past few years h!t me all over again I don’t know what to do anymore i’ve given everything to them and Liam he doesn’t appreciate anything he’s spoiled and it’s like they think he can do no wrong Jake was quiet for a moment and then he said something I hadn’t really thought about why don’t you leave for real go get a job start over somewhere else you don’t need them man you’ve got this it h!t me like a ton

Of bricks he was right I didn’t have to stick around I didn’t have to keep being their backup plan the one they turned to when they needed help it was hard to imagine leaving everything behind but in that that moment it felt like it might be the only way to break free I spent the night at Jake’s and when I woke up I knew what I had to do it wasn’t just about the gift anymore it was about my entire life about the way my parents treated me compared to Liam so I packed a bag grabbed what I needed and went to my parents house to let them know I was

Leaving they weren’t home at the time which only made the whole situation feel even more like I was walking away from a chapter one could never go back to when they got back it didn’t take long for them to realize something was off I was halfway through the process of packing up my things when I heard their car pull into the driveway my heart skipped a bead as the front door creaked open Oliver my mom’s voice echoed down the hallway sounding surprised where are you going I walked into the living room holding my back I’m leaving mom what her

Voice faltered where are you going you can’t just leave like this I kept my tone steady but I could feel the tension building i’ve been carrying this family for too long it’s time for me to go you and Dad don’t need me not really you’ve always had Liam for everything else the look on her face was one of disbelief like she couldn’t process what I was saying Oliver you know we depend on you you’ve been so helpful and now this this is the thanks we get I didn’t let her guilt trip me this time i’ve been helpful because you’ve never given me a

Choice you’ve always expected me to clean up after everyone Liam does whatever he wants and you keep giving him everything well I’m done dad stepped into the room looking almost confused what do you mean you’re done you’re going to leave the family after everything we’ve done for you you’ve done nothing for me dad I replied keeping my voice calm Liam gets a car and I get cleaning supplies that’s how much I mean to you mom’s face Twisted in something close to panic you don’t understand we’ve been making sacrifices

For your future you’re not seeing the bigger picture I shook my head no Mom I’m done seeing the bigger picture you’ve never seen me you’ve only seen what you can use me for but I’m not doing this anymore I turned to leave but Liam stepped into the doorway a smug expression plastered on his face wow Oli leaving already guess you can’t handle the family Spotlight huh I mean I just got a brand new car for graduation what do you have a bag of cleaning supplies he laughed and I could feel my bl00d boiling shut up Liam I said through

Gritted teeth you don’t have a clue mom shot him a glare but then turned back to me her voice a bit more frantic where are you even going to go you can’t just leave us like this I didn’t answer her immediately I simply walked out the door leaving everything behind it wasn’t until I was in the cab heading to a small apartment I’d rented that same morning that I felt the weight of what I’d just done for the first time in years I felt free the following year was a blur I found a nine to five job in sales just to keep things steady but my

Real plan was always the side hustle it took time a lot of hard work and plenty of late nights but after a few months I started seeing the results I was making money online not just a little but enough to start thinking bigger I was no longer dependent on my family no longer living in the shadow of my brother but as I started to succeed that’s when the call started I had gone from living paycheck to paycheck relying on my parents to a self-sufficient adult with Financial Freedom I wasn’t a millionaire yet but the sense of Independence and

Control over my life was worth more than anything it felt like a huge Victory every time I checked my bank balance seeing the numbers climb but of course as my success grew so did the need for my family to reach out it all started with a text from my mom at first it was casual she was trying to sound like everything was normal hey Oliver how’s the new place I hope you’re settling and well have you been able to keep busy with work I could tell this was a thinly veiled attempt to see if I’d buy and talk about what I was doing so I

Responded keeping it simple and vague I’m doing well work’s keeping me busy but it’s going good that was it a couple of days went by before I heard from her again this time it wasn’t just a checkin the tone was different Oliver your dad and I have been thinking we’re really proud of you you’ve always worked hard and we just wanted to tell you that we’re here for you no matter what I could feel the tension in her words it was almost like they were testing the waters hoping to open the door for something more I knew exactly what they

Wanted but I kept my reply neutral thanks Mom I appreciate it a week later I got another message this time it wasn’t from her but from Liam hey olly hope you’re doing all right I know things are a bit tense between us but I just wanted to check in how’s work going i’ve been thinking about you Liam thinking about me that was new he had never cared about anything except himself I didn’t want want to be Patty but I also didn’t want to pretend like everything was fine so I replied with the same vague answer I’d given mom

Everything’s good works going well and I’m staying busy a couple of days later my phone buzzed again this time it was my Mom calling I hesitated for a moment then answered hello Oliver honey it’s Mom she said sounding almost sweet I hope you’re doing well your dad and I were just talking we were wondering if you could come by soon we really miss you you know it’s not the same without you here my stomach dropped it felt like a trap they hadn’t missed me before at least not in the way they were claiming it had been months since I left and all

Of a sudden they wanted to act like they cared I could practically hear the desperation in her voice I don’t know Mom I said trying to sound neutral but not giving in i’ve got a lot going on here things are different she was quiet for a second and I could hear her breathing on the other end of the line I waited for her response knowing this was coming well it’s just that with everything that’s been going on we’ve been struggling a little you know with your brother’s car and all and with the bills stacking up it’s been a lot for us

Lately we could really use your help there it was I knew it they had been in debt taking out loans to buy Liam his car and now they were struggling to keep up they hadn’t thought of how they would manage long term and suddenly they were remembering I existed but it wasn’t because they were concerned about me it was was because they needed something my heart tightened I don’t know what you expect from me Mom I’m not coming back i’ve built my life here I heard her voice falter we know you’re doing well Oliver we just we just thought you could

Help us out a little that’s all just to get back on our feet I didn’t respond right away I was processing what she was saying how easily they expected me to just drop everything return to the house and fix their mess listen Mom I’m not coming back you and Dad have made your choices you decided to put everything into Liam you can’t just come to me when things get hard you can’t expect me to fix it there was a long silence on the other end of the line then finally my mom spoke her voice almost pleading Oliver please we’ve made mistakes but

We’re trying we really need you I wasn’t sure what I felt anymore anger sympathy resentment a mix of all of those I had worked so hard to get away from that place and now they were trying to manipulate me into coming back back to be their backup once again I can’t help you I said feeling my resolve solidify i’ve worked too hard for this I’m not going to put myself back in that situation that was the first of many calls they came more frequently over the next few weeks each time more desperate Mom and Dad each with their own version

Of pleading reminding me how much they needed me how much they’d sacrificed for me they even mentioned Liam talking about how his grades were slipping now that he had the car and how he couldn’t handle the pressure of adult life but every time I refused they pushed harder until the call stopped coming the silence was almost worse than the constant begging I knew they were upset I knew they were angry but that didn’t stop me from living my life then one day I got a message from Liam this time it was different it wasn’t just about

Checking in or saying he missed me it was a cry for help Oliver I need you to help me things are getting out of hand dad’s been really upset lately and Mom she does doesn’t know what to do we’re in serious trouble I didn’t respond right away I wasn’t sure if I should even reply what did you want from me what was he trying to pull finally after a few minutes I decided to send a short reply what do you want from me Liam his response came quickly and the urgency in his words was clear I’m serious Ally we’re in debt we can’t handle the car

Payments I don’t know who else to turn to I could feel my heart sink this wasn’t just about them anymore this was about about a family falling apart and Liam the one who’d been handed everything on a silver platter was finally realizing how bad things had gotten I sat there for a moment staring at the message on my phone my fingers twitching with frustration then I typed out a reply Liam you don’t get it do you this isn’t my problem the words were harsh but I felt like I needed to say it it wasn’t just about money or material

Things anymore it was about principles I wasn’t going to be their fallback savior they put me in a position where I was the one who had to sacrifice everything I wasn’t going to let them do it again I stared at the screen for a few more seconds before I added more you and dad put yourselves in this mess I told you guys when I left I was done I’m not coming back to fix things for you don’t ask me to I stared at the message feeling a strange sense of relief I had to Stand My Ground there was no way I was going to let them Guilt Trip me into

Coming back just as I had sned my phone rang it was from my mom the last thing I wanted to do was talk to her right now but the call kept ringing and it seemed like I was going to have to face it I picked up with a deep sigh hello Oliver she started and I could already hear the crack in her voice she was trying to keep her composure but the desperation was obvious I don’t know what to do you need to come back your dad he’s not handling things well he’s he’s been so upset olly I’m just worried about him and Liam well heun’s not doing well at

All his grades are slipping he doesn’t know how to manage everything it’s just getting worse I clench my jaw my patient wearing thin Mom I don’t care about their problems I have my own life now I told you I wouldn’t come back you chose to spoil Liam and ignore me for years now when things are hard you want me to drop everything and fix it no there was silence on the other end of the phone I could tell she was hurt by my words but I wasn’t about to apologize not this time mom you need to figure this out on your own I continued my voice growing

More firm I’m not responsible for your financial mistakes I’m not your backup her voice trembled I’m not asking you to fix everything Oliver we just we just thought maybe you could help us out just a little it’s hard and we don’t know who else to turn to I could feel my temper Rising you thought you could just ignore me when I needed help and now that you’re struggling you think I owe you what happened to your perfect family that didn’t need me the one where everything was supposed to be fine as long as Liam had everything handed to

Him her voice cracked it’s not like that olly we’ve made mistakes but we’re trying to do better now please just come home I felt a bitter laugh rise in my throat I’m not coming back and I’m certainly not going to keep bailing you out you can’t just call me when it’s convenient for you you made your choices Oliver please she started but I interrupted no i’ve heard this all before I’m Not Your solution you want to fix things start with Liam he’s the one who’s got the luxury car the one who’s never worked a day in his life you want

To know what adulting looks like stop using me as your crutch and figure it out yourself I could hear her sobbing now the tears coming through in her words you don’t understand olly you don’t understand how hard it’s been please I felt the pain of Guild in my chest but I pushed it away I couldn’t let myself fall back into their trap I understand perfectly I said my voice hardening but I’m not going to give in I’m not going to put my life on hold to fix yours you need to face the consequences of your choices I hung up

Before she could say anything else letting out a long breath my hands were shaking not from fear but from the frustration that had been building up over the last few months they had always seen me as someone who could be manipulated someone who could be pushed into action whenever they needed me but not anymore I knew it wouldn’t be the end of it I knew they’d try again my mom had always been persistent when she needed something and my dad was the type to sulk and try to guiltrip me but I wasn’t going to give in I had worked too

Hard to get to where I was and I wasn’t going to let them drag me back into that life about a week later as I was getting ready to leave work I saw a notification pop up on my phone it was from my dad we’ve been talking and we’ve made some changes we’re sorry for how things have been your mom and I we just want to help you we miss you and we need you please Oliver come home let’s fix things we’ll work together I stared at the message my heart hammering in my chest I wasn’t sure what to feel a part of me wanted to

Be angry but the other part of me wondered if they truly meant it I didn’t respond right away instead I sat there in my apartment replaying everything in my mind the way they had treated me how they had never shown a fraction of this supposed love when I needed it now after everything they were suddenly begging for my help I wasn’t buying it a few days passed and I didn’t hear from them again I started to think they might have finally given up maybe they had learned their lesson maybe they realized that they could no longer rely on me that I

Wasn’t their emotional bank account their last resort then another message came but this time it wasn’t from my mom or dad it was from Liam you’re really going to leave us hanging like this what’s the point of family if you don’t help when we need it you’ve been selfish we’re struggling and you’re just going to let us drown I thought you were better than this there it was again the man ulation the guilt the same old tactics I wasn’t surprised that it was Liam this time he had always been the one to play the victim when things

Didn’t go his way the one who thought the world should revolve around him but this time I wasn’t going to let it work I sat down typing out my response slowly making sure every word h!t the mark you don’t get it Liam I’m not your backup and I’m not your savior you’re the one who always gets everything handed to you and now that things aren’t perfect you want to blame me for your problems I don’t owe you anything you’re grown just like I am it’s time you learn to stand on your own two feet you’ve had your life handed to you on a silver platter

And now you want me to come back and fix everything that’s not how this works don’t ever contact me again unless you’re ready to be honest about what you’ve done I hadit sined my finger trembling slightly I’d never been more sure of a decision in my life but that wasn’t the end of it a few weeks later I got a call from an unfamiliar number I almost didn’t pick it up but something told me had to when I answered it was my dad on the other end Oliver we know we messed up he said his voice more fragile than I’d ever heard it your mom and I

We’ve been trying to fix things and we’re sorry we were wrong we don’t want you to think we only care about what you can do for us we just we want our family back we want you back the words h!t me harder than I expected there was a part of me that wanted to believe them to think that maybe just maybe they were truly sorry but the logical part of my mind reminded me of everything they had done to me how they had taken me for granted used me manipulated me into being the one to clean up their messes I had been their backup plan for far too

Long and I was done I’m not coming back Dad I said my voice steady not now not ever you’ve had your chance and you’ve used it all up you can’t just expect me to forget everything just because you’re sorry now you made your choices I’m making mine there was a long silence on the other end and I could hear the sound of him Breathing heavily I I understand he finally said his voice defeated but please just know we here if you ever change your mind I hung up the phone and sat there in the quiet of my apartment feeling a strange sense of relief for

The first time in my life I felt like I was truly free it’s been a year now since that last conversation my parents have tried to contact me a few times but i’ve stayed firm I’m not going to let them back into my life and I’m not going to feel guilty about it over the past year i’ve been building something for myself something that will ensure I never have to rely on anyone again my income is growing steadily and in a few more months i’ll be at the point where I can truly call myself financially independent and to be honest a part of

Me knows that when they find out i’ve gotten to that point they’ll come knocking again but this time I won’t be there so Reddit what do you think am I wrong for refusing to help them I’m honestly torn between feeling like I did the right thing and feeling guilty about leaving them behind it’s hard because they’re family but after everything I just don’t know if I can forgive them let me know your thoughts