I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you mean an adult like that, who silently accepts betrayal and keeps paying the bills?” I shook my head.
“Mom, don’t pretend. That’s exactly what you wanted.” Dad took a step forward and tried to push himself on me, just like he had when he was a child…
“Jakob, we raised you. We fed you and clothed you. We gave you everything you have.”
He raised his eyebrows. “The least you can do is help us now.” I met his gaze.
“I’ve helped you before. For years.” I leaned closer to him. “And you thanked me by banishing me from your lives.”
Mom’s lips trembled. “We thought… you’d understand.” I exhaled heavily and shook my head. “Oh, I see.”
I looked at her. “I know I was never part of the family to you. Just a wallet.”
Silence again. But this time it was oppressive and suffocating. I turned to Eric, who had been acting as if he weren’t there the whole time.
“And you? Do you have an excuse?” I folded my arms. You’ve had years to grow up. Take charge of your own life.
I had just started to do something. But you didn’t.” I paused and, looking him straight in the eye, said the last thing I had to say:
“Because you knew they would always take care of you.” I narrowed my eyes. “And when they left, you just thought I would take over.” “What am I supposed to say to that?” Eric finally blurted out.
“I didn’t ask for it.” I nodded slowly. “Of course you didn’t ask for it.”
“You just took advantage of it.” His mouth opened and closed again. I said nothing.
Mom made one last attempt at showing compassion: “Jacob, we’re family. And in a family, you take care of each other.”
I stared at her for a long moment and then replied slowly, “Exactly.” “Then why didn’t you ever take care of me?” She froze.
No words. No excuses. Nothing.
I took a deep breath. I felt lighter than I had in years: “We made it.”
I turned around, went back to the building, and slammed the door in their faces. I hadn’t even made it to the couch when my phone vibrated. A text from Dad:
After everything we’ve done for you, you’re really abandoning us now? I grinned and replied, “No, you abandoned me.”
“I finally accept it.” I hit send and blocked their numbers. But I had no idea that this would only make things worse.
Less than a day later, everything spiraled out of control. I started reading Facebook posts. My parents were never particularly tech-savvy, but somehow they knew how to create a stir on social media, especially when things were going well for them…
At first, I thought it was just another one of their antics, because that was their modus operandi: airing family matters publicly. But when I checked my newsfeeds, it dawned on me. It wasn’t just about me no longer receiving financial support.
The posts were disguised as expressions of familial love. In reality, they were veiled attacks on me. My mother wrote something along the lines of: “I didn’t raise my son to be so selfish.”
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