Reddit Stories - GUARDIANS ATTEMPTED to INCREASE my rent by twofold to assist my jobless sibling

Episode Date: July 26, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #guardians #rentincrease #jobless #sibling #familySummary: Guardians attempted to increase my rent by twofold to assist my jobless sibling.Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, guardians, rentincrease, jobless, sibling, family, assistance, financialhelp, housing, conflict, relationships, personal, dilemma, support, decisionmaking, communicationBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Guardians attempted to increase my rent by twofold to assist my jobless sibling and his social media personality spouse who reside in their residence without charge, so I ultimately decided to stop being taken advantage of and moved out. I'm 28F and this whole thing blew up three days ago and I've been staying at my friend's couch ever since. But let me start from the beginning because there's a lot of background that explains why I'm so furious.

I've been living in my parents' basement apartment for the past. four years. It's not ideal but it made financial sense after I graduated college with my nursing degree and started working at the local hospital. My parents converted their basement into a pretty decent one-bedroom setup with a separate entrance, and they charged me $800 a month, which was way below market rate for our area where similar places go for $1,400 to $1,600. I thought they were being generous and helping me save money to eventually buy my own place. My parents have always had this weird dynamic with my older brother Jake who's 31. Jake is the golden child and I mean that literally, not just being dramatic. Growing up, Jake could do no wrong while I had to work twice as

hard for half the recognition. When Jake barely graduated high school, my parents celebrated like he'd won a Nobel Prize. When I graduated from nursing school, they said they were proud but then immediately started talking about how Jake was thinking about maybe going back to school someday. Jake has never held a steady job for more than eight months. He's one of those guys who always has some get-rich-quick scheme or talks about starting his own business but never actually does anything concrete. He's worked at a landscaping company, tried selling insurance, did some construction work, and most recently was doing Door Dash and Uber driving. Meanwhile, I've been working full-time as a registered nurse, picking up overtime shifts, and I even got my certification in pediatric care last year which came with the nice raise. But here's where it gets really messed up. For the past four years while I've been

paying rent and contributing to the household, I've also been the one taking care of a lot of things for my parents. My dad is 63 and has diabetes and high blood pressure, and my mom is 59 with arthritis that's been getting worse. I'm the one who drives them to medical appointments when their schedules conflict with work, I pick up their prescriptions, I help them understand their insurance paperwork, and I've probably saved them thousands of dollars in medical bills just by being there to advocate for them and catch problems early. Last year my mom had to have knee-replacement surgery and I used all my vacation time to take care of her during recovery. I was basically a live-in nurse, helping her with physical therapy exercises, managing her pain medication schedule,

cooking all the meals because she couldn't stand for long periods, and doing all the housework and laundry. My dad was grateful but Jake barely visited during the six weeks she was recovering, maybe stopped by three times total and each time he stayed for like 20 minutes. I also handle a lot of the household maintenance stuff because I'm handy and my dad's health makes it hard for him to do repairs anymore. I fixed plumbing issues, painted rooms, installed new light fixtures, set up their new smart TV and taught them how to use it, and I even recocked their entire upstairs bathroom last month. I don't ask for payment or anything because they're my parents and they were giving me a good deal on rent, so I figured it was fair that I contributed in other ways. Now let me tell you about

Jake's wife, Brittany. They got married two years ago after dating for like six months, and I knew from the moment I met her that she was going to be trouble. Britney is 26 and she's never had what I would call a real job. She's done some babysitting, worked part-time at a boutique for a few months, and she's always talking about her Instagram followers and how she's going to be an influencer, but she has like 1,200 followers and posts pictures of her daily expensive Starbucks drinks. Brittany is the type of person who acts sweet and helpless around my parents, but I can see right through her manipulation. She'll show up to family dinners empty-handed but then post photos of the food on her social media like she contributed something.

She's always talking about how hard it is to find work in her field when she doesn't actually have a field, just vague ideas about working in social media or event planning or whatever sounds good that week. The two of them live in this tiny apartment across town that costs $1,100 a month and they're constantly behind on rent. I know this because my parents have been bailing them out regularly, though they tried to hide it from me at first. I started noticing when my parents would suddenly be tighter with money, like they'd mentioned wanting to go out to dinner but then say they needed to watch their spending, or they'd put off home repairs that they normally would have handled right away.

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That's S-P-R-E-A-K-E-R dot com. Jake and Brittany got evicted because they were three months behind on rent. My parents didn't tell me this was happening. I found out when Jake's stuff started appearing in the garage and my mom casually mentioned they were staying in Jake's old room temporarily. When I asked how long temporarily meant, my parents got all vague and said they were just helping them get back on their feet. That temporary stay has now lasted six months. Jake and Brittany have basically moved back into his childhood bedroom and they've made no visible effort to find their own place again.

Jake is still doing gig work sporadically and Brittany has started selling some kind of health and wellness products through social media, which is obviously a pyramid scheme, but she talks about it like she's running a legitimate business empire. The breaking point started building up about two months ago when I noticed my parents were acting weird around me. They'd stopped talking when I walked into rooms, and they started asking me questions about my work schedule and how much money I was making with my recent raise. I thought maybe they were just curious or proud that I was doing well professionally, but it felt different somehow. Then three weeks ago my mom asked me if I'd ever thought about getting my own place. Not in a mean way, but like she was testing the waters.

I told her I was happy with our current arrangement and asked if there was a problem. She said no, everything was fine, but she just wondered if I ever felt like I needed more independence. I should have realized something was upright then, but I trusted that she would just talk to me directly if there was an issue. Last Tuesday, my parents asked me to sit down for a family meeting after dinner. I figured they wanted to talk about plans for my dad's upcoming birthday or maybe discuss some medical stuff since he'd had a doctor's appointment that week. Instead, my mom starts explaining that they've been thinking about the household finances and they've decided they need to raise my rent to $1,400 a month starting next month.

I was so shocked I couldn't speak for a minute. That's almost double what I've been paying and it's actually above market rate for basement apartments in our area. I asked them why such a huge increase all at once, and my dad said that housing costs have gone up everywhere and they need to make sure they're being fair to themselves as landlords. But here's what really made my blood boil. I asked them directly if this had anything to do with Jake and Brittany living here, and my mom got all defensive and said that Jake's living situation was temporary and completely

separate from my rent situation. She said they'd been thinking about this for months and it wasn't fair for me to live here so cheaply when I was making good money as a nurse. I pointed out that I contribute way more than just rent money to this household, that I'm basically their part-time caregiver and handyman and that has to be worth something. My dad said he appreciated everything I do but that I'm family and family helps family, and that shouldn't affect the business side of our rental agreement. I was getting really angry at this point and I said that if we're talking about family helping

family, then what about all the money they've been giving Jake and Brittany over the past two years? My mom's face went white and she said that's none of my business, but I told her it became my business when they decided to almost double my rent out of nowhere. That's when the real fight started. I said I knew they'd been paying Jake and Brittany's expenses and that the only reason they needed more money for me was to continue supporting two adults who refused to support themselves. My mom said I was being cruel and that Jake was going through a rough patch, and my dad said

I was being selfish and that they had every right to charge me market rate. I told them that market rate comes with market standards, which means a proper lease agreement, 30 days notice for rent increases, and landlords who don't expect their tenants to provide free medical care and home maintenance. I said if they wanted to treat this like a business relationship then we needed to do it properly, but they couldn't pick and choose when I'm family versus when I'm a tenant based on what's convenient for them. My mom started crying and said I was being unfair, that they never asked me to do medical stuff, I just volunteered. I volunteered because I thought we were family and family takes care of each other, but apparently that only applies when it benefits

Jake. My dad got really angry and said I was way out of line, that Jake was struggling and needed support, and that I should be grateful they'd given me such a good deal for so long instead of complaining about being asked to pay my fair share now. I said my fair share would include deducting all the free labor I'd provided over the past four years, and if we wanted to calculate that hourly I'd probably owe them negative money. The argument went on for like an hour and got really heated. My mom kept crying and saying I was being mean to them when they'd always tried to help me, and my dad kept saying I was acting entitled and that adults pay market rent. But the thing that really got to me was that neither of them would admit that this was about

Jake and Brittany. They kept pretending it was just a coincidence. Finally I said fine, if they want to charge me $1,400 a month, then I'll move out and find my own place where I get what I pay for and I don't have to subsidize my brother's lifestyle. My mom said I was being dramatic and my dad said I was cutting off my nose to spite my face, but I was done with the conversation. I went downstairs and started looking at apartment listings that night.

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That's S-P-R-E-A-K-E-R.com. Next morning, I called in sick to work and spent the day looking at places. I found a decent one-bedroom apartment about 15 minutes from the hospital for $1,350 a month, which is actually less than what my parents wanted to charge me

and it comes with a dishwasher and in-unit laundry, plus I won't have to listen to Jake and Brittany having loud conversations at all hours. I put in an application and got approved the same day because my credit is excellent and I have steady employment. I signed the lease and my move-in date is in a few days. I didn't tell my parents any of this. I just went about my normal routine

and started quietly packing my stuff when they weren't around. Wednesday morning I woke up to Jake and Brittany having another one of their loud discussions about money right about. Brittany was complaining that they needed to buy new clothes for some event she wanted to attend, and Jake was saying they didn't have money for that right now. Then I heard Britney say that maybe they should ask his parents for help again, and Jake said he didn't want to keep asking but maybe they could make it work. That's when I realized what was really happening.

My parents didn't just randomly decide to raise my rent, they were specifically trying to get more money to continue supporting Jake and Brittany's lifestyle. They figured they could squeeze me for an extra $600 a month and used that money to keep bailing out the golden child and his wife. I was so angry I couldn't think straight. I went upstairs and found my parents having coffee in the kitchen, and I told them I'd found my own apartment and I'd be moving out in a few days. My mom looked shocked and asked why I was being so hasty.

Couldn't we work something out? I said there was nothing to work out. They'd made it clear they wanted a business relationship, so I was taking my business elsewhere. My dad said I was being ridiculous and that I'd never find a better deal than what they were offering me. I told him I'd already found a better deal, actually several better deals, and I wouldn't have to provide free medical care and handyman services on top of the rent. That's when Jake came into the kitchen and asked what was going on. My mom explained that I was moving out because of the rent increase, and Jake had the nerve to say that maybe it was for the best because I'd been acting hostile toward him and Brittany lately. I couldn't believe he was trying to make this about my attitude when the whole situation was

happening because my parents were prioritizing his needs over basic fairness. I told Jake that I hadn't been hostile. I'd been honest about the fact that he and his wife were freeloading off our parents and now they were making our parents squeeze money out of me to continue supporting their lifestyle. Jake got all offended and said that wasn't true, that he and Brittany were just going through a temporary rough patch and they'd be back on their feet soon. I asked him how soon exactly, since they'd been going through this temporary rough patch for literally

months and years at this point. Jake said I didn't understand how hard it was to get established in today's economy, and I said I understood perfectly since I'd managed to get established just fine with the same economy and the same parents. Brittany chose that moment to come into the kitchen and ask what all the yelling was about. When someone explained the situation, she said she thought it was probably good for everyone and she said she'd noticed I seemed stressed and maybe having my own space would help me feel better.

I was so angry at her fake concern that I told her the only thing stressing me out was watching two grown adults mooch off my elderly parents while contributing nothing to the household. Brittany got all hurt and said that was really mean, that she and Jake were trying their best and going through a hard time. I said that everyone goes through hard times,

but most people don't move in with their in-laws and freeload for six months while making no effort to improve their situation. Jake jumped in and said I didn't know what I was talking about, that they were actively looking for work and trying to save money. I asked Jake what work he'd applied for in the past week, and he couldn't give me a straight answer. I asked Brittany how much money she'd made from her business venture, and she said she was still building her client base. I said that sounded like they were both making excuses instead of making progress. My parents were trying to calm everyone down, but I was past the point of keeping the peace.

I told them that I'd spent four years helping them, taking care of them, and contributing to this household in every way possible. And the thanks I got was being told I needed to pay double rent so they could continue enabling Jake and Brittany's refusal to be adults. My mom said that wasn't fair, that they appreciated everything I did, but Jake needed help right now and family supports family. I said that apparently family only supports family when your name is Jake, because when I needed support by getting reasonable rent, suddenly it was all about business and market rates. My dad said I was twisting their words and being manipulative, that they'd given me a great deal for years and now they needed me to pay full price. I said fine, then they could find

tenants who were willing to pay full price without providing any additional services, and see how that worked out for them. I went back downstairs and called my friend to Hi, I'm Darren Marler, host of the Weird Darkness podcast. I want to talk about the most important tool in my podcast belt. Spreaker is the all-in-one platform that makes it easy to record, host, and distribute your show everywhere from Apple Podcasts to Spotify. But the real game changer for me was Spreaker's monetization. Spreaker offers dynamic ad insertion.

That means you can automatically insert ads into your episodes. No editing required. And with Spreker's programmatic ads, they'll bring the ads to you, and you get paid for every download. This turned my podcasting hobby into a full-time career. Spreaker also has a premium subscription model. where your most dedicated listeners can pay for bonus content or early access, adding another revenue stream to what you're already doing.

And the best part, Spreaker grows with you. Whether you're just starting out or running a full-blown podcast network, Sprinker's powerful tools scale effortlessly as your show grows. So if you're ready to podcast like a pro and get paid while doing it, check out spreeker.com. That's S-P-R-E-K-E-R dot com. Ask if I could stay on her couch for a few days until my new apartment was ready. She said, of course, and asked what was happening, so I explained the whole situation.

My friend was shocked and said she couldn't believe my parents were doing this to me, especially after everything I'd done for them. I started packing my essential stuff that night. Thursday morning, I loaded my car with clothes and important documents and drove to my friend's place. I left a note from my parents saying I was staying with a friend until tomorrow morning and I'd be back to get the rest of my things with a moving truck. My mom called me like six times Thursday, and I finally answered. She was crying and asking me to come home so we could talk this through. I told her there was nothing to talk through, they'd made their choice and I'd made mine.

She said I was being stubborn and hurting the whole family over money, and I said I wasn't the one who chose money over family. She said that wasn't what happened, they just needed me to contribute more financially, and I said they needed me to contribute more financially so they could continue supporting Jake and Brittany, which was the same thing. My mom said I was being unfair to Jake, that he was doing his best and they were just trying to help him get stable. I asked her why Jake's stability was more important than our relationship, and she didn't have an answer for that. I told her that I'd been stable and contributing and responsible for years, but apparently that counted for nothing when Jake needed money. My dad texted me Thursday evening.

asking me to reconsider, saying they could maybe work out a compromise on the rent. I texted back that it wasn't about the money anymore, it was about the fact that they'd been dishonest with me and were prioritizing Jake's needs over basic fairness. He texted back that I was being dramatic and that they'd always treated me fairly. I didn't respond to that because I was so angry I knew I'd say something I couldn't take back. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that they haven't treated me fairly, maybe ever. I just never noticed because I was so busy trying to be the good daughter and take care of everyone. This morning is Friday and I'm getting ready to go get the rest of my stuff. I rented a small moving truck and my friend is coming with me to help.

I'm not looking forward to seeing my parents but I need my furniture and the rest of my belongings. Jake texted me this morning saying he thinks we should talk and that he doesn't want this to break up the family. I haven't responded because I don't know what there is to say. He's never had to face consequences for his choices before, so he doesn't understand that actions have results. I keep going back and forth between feeling like I'm doing the right thing and wondering if I'm being too harsh. My parents are older and they do need help sometimes, and I know they're going to struggle more without me there. But I also know that they made this choice when they decided to prioritize Jake's comfort over treating me fairly. The thing that really bothers me is that they

were never honest with me about what was happening. If they'd said, look, Jake and Brittany need help and we want to support them, but that means we need you to contribute more to the household expenses, at least that would have been honest. Instead, they tried to make it seem like this was just a normal rent increase based on market conditions, like I was stupid enough to believe that coincidence. So I'm moving forward with my plan. I'm getting my stuff today and starting fresh in my own place. I'm not sure if I'll maintain a relationship with my parents or not. I think that depends on whether they're willing to acknowledge what they did and why it was wrong. But I'm done being the responsible one who gets taken advantage of while Jake gets endless

support and excuses. I know some people will say I should forgive them because they're my parents and family is important. But I think respect is important too, and they didn't respect me enough to be honest about what was happening or to consider my feelings when they made this decision. They expected me to just accept it and continue being the good daughter who doesn't cause problems. Well, I'm causing problems now. I'm prioritizing my own needs and my own financial future instead of making myself smaller so that Jake can stay comfortable. The moving truck should be here in few hours and then I'll officially be out of their house and starting over. I'm nervous about living alone for the first time since college, but I'm also excited about not having to hear

Jake and Brittany's daily drama or watch my parents bend over backward to accommodate them while treating me like hired help. I guess I'll find out today how they react when I actually follow through on moving out. So I'd offer moving out and cutting off my parents after they raised my rent to support my golden child brother and his wife? Or am I finally doing what I should have done years ago and standing up for myself? Update 1. The moving truck showed up right on time at 1 p.m. and my friend met me at my parents' house. I had my key so we just went in through the basement entrance and started loading my stuff. My parents must have heard the truck because they came down about 10 minutes after we started. My mom immediately started crying again

and asking why I was really doing this. Couldn't we work something out? This was all happening so fast. My dad was more angry than sad, asking why I had to make such a big problem out of everything and why I couldn't just be reasonable about the rent situation. I told them I was being completely reasonable, I was removing myself from a situation where I wasn't being treated fairly. My mom said that wasn't true, they loved me and wanted me to be happy, but I said if that was true they wouldn't have tried to almost double my rent with no warning to pay for Jake's expenses. That's when Jake and Brittany came downstairs, and Jake started trying to mediate like he was some kind of neutral party instead of the cause of the whole problem.

He said maybe we could all sit down and work this out like adults, that there had to be some kind of compromise that would make everyone happy. I told Jake that the time for compromise was before they decided to use me as their personal and that I wasn't interested in negotiating with people who had been lying to me for months. Jake said nobody had been lying, that this was just a misunderstanding about household finances. That's when I lost it. I said there was no misunderstanding, that I knew exactly what was happening here. My parents needed extra money to keep supporting Jake and Brittany's lifestyle, so they decided to get it from me because they knew I was reliable and wouldn't

cause problems. Except I was causing problems now because I was done being taken advantage of. Brittany spoke up and said she didn't think it was fair to blame her and Jake for my problems with my parents, that this seemed like a family communication issue that didn't really involve them. I couldn't believe she had the nerve to act like an innocent bystander when she and Jake were literally living rent-free in my parents' house while I got charged double rent. I told Brittany that she and Jake were exactly the problem, that my parents had been financially supporting them for years and now they needed more money for me to continue doing it. Brittany said that wasn't true, that she and Jake were contributing to the household in other ways.

I asked what weighs specifically, and she couldn't give me a real answer. She said something vague about helping with household tasks and providing companionship for my parents, which was such obvious nonsense that I started laughing. I said if companionship was so valuable, then maybe she should start paying rent with her Instagram followers. Jake got angry and said I was being cruel to Brittany, that she was trying to build a business and it took time to get established. I said it had been taking time for two years now, and maybe it was time to try a different approach, like getting a regular job like normal adults do.

My parents were trying to calm everyone down, but the argument kept escalating. My dad said I was being disrespectful to everyone and that I should apologize for the things I was saying. I told him I had nothing to apologize for, that I was telling the truth, and if the truth was disrespectful, then maybe they should examine their choices. That's when Brittany started crying and said I was being mean to them when they were already stressed about their situation. She said it wasn't their fault that things were hard right now and they were doing their best to figure things out. I told Brittany that doing their best would involve actually applying for jobs and living within their means instead of expecting my parents

to subsidize their lifestyle indefinitely. She said I didn't understand their situation and that they had been looking for work. I asked her to name one job she'd applied for in the past month and she couldn't do it. I asked Jake the same question and he gave me some vague answer about networking and exploring opportunities. Hi, I'm Darren Marler. Host of the Weird Darkness podcast. I want to talk about the most important tool in my podcast belt.

Spreaker is the all-in-one platform that makes it easy to record, host, and distribute your show everywhere from Apple Podcasts to Spotify. But the real game changer for me was Spreaker's monetization. Spreaker offers dynamic ad insertion. That means you can automatically

insert ads into your episodes. No editing required. And with Spreker's programmatic ads, they'll bring the ads to you. and you get paid for every download. This turned my podcasting hobby into a full-time career. Spreaker also has a premium subscription model where your most dedicated listeners can pay for bonus content or early access,

adding another revenue stream to what you're already doing. And the best part, Spreaker grows with you. Whether you're just starting out or running a full-blown podcast network, Spreaker's powerful tools scale effortlessly as your show grows. So if you're ready to podcast like a pro and get paid while doing it, check out Spreaker.com. That's S-P-R-E-A-K-R.com. I said that sounded like they were both making excuses instead of making efforts.

The argument was getting really loud and heated when my friend who had been quietly packing my books, finally spoke up. She said maybe we should focus on getting the moving done since we had the truck for a limited time. I was grateful for the interruption because I was getting so angry I was worried I might say something I'd really regret. But Jake couldn't let it go. He said that maybe it was better for everyone if I did move out, since I seemed to have such a negative attitude about everything and it was affecting the whole household. I was so shocked by the audacity of that statement that I couldn't speak for a minute. Here was Jake, who had been living rent-free in our parents' house for six months, telling me that my attitude was the problem when the only

reason I was moving out was because they were trying to charge me extra money to support his freeloading lifestyle. I told Jake that my attitude wasn't the problem, the problem was that he was a grown man who expected his parents to support him and his wife indefinitely while contributing nothing to the household. Jake said that wasn't fair, that he was working and trying to get established. I said working a few door deliveries a week wasn't the same as having a real job or taking responsibility for his own life. Jake got really angry and said I didn't know what I was talking about, that the gig economy was legitimate work and I was being elitist. I told Jake that I wasn't being elitist, I was being realistic about the fact that his

income clearly wasn't enough to support himself and Brittany, which was why they were living with our parents and why our parents needed more money from me. I told them that I'd found my own place for less money than they wanted to charge me, with better amenities and no family drama included. My mom said that money wasn't everything, that being close to family was valuable too. I said being close to family would be valuable if family meant mutual respect and support, but it wasn't valuable when family meant being taken advantage of and having my needs ignored whenever they conflicted with Jake's wants. My friend was giving me looks like we really needed to finish up with the moving truck,

so I tried to end the conversation. I told my parents that I'd made my decision and I was moving forward with my own life, and they were free to continue supporting Jake and Brittany however they wanted with their own money. My mom asked if this meant I wasn't going to talk to them anymore, and I said that depended on whether they were willing to acknowledge what they'd done and why it was wrong. My dad said they hadn't done anything wrong, they just made a real. reasonable request about rent. I said that lying about the reasons for the rent increase and prioritizing Jake's needs over basic fairness wasn't reasonable, it was manipulative and hurtful.

My dad said I was being overly dramatic and that I'd regret burning bridges over money. I told him I wasn't burning bridges over money, I was establishing boundaries around being treated with respect. If that felt like burning bridges to them, then maybe they should examine why they thought it was acceptable to treat me poorly in the first place. We finished loading the truck mostly in silence after that, with occasional attempts from my parents to restart the conversation that I shut down because I was done arguing. When we were almost finished, my mom pulled me aside and asked if I was really not going to come back for family dinners or holidays.

I told her that I didn't know yet, that it would depend on whether they were willing to have honest conversations about what had happened and make changes going forward. She said she didn't understand what changes I wanted, that they'd always tried to be fair to everyone. I said that if she really believed they'd been fair to me, then we probably weren't going to be able to resolve this. My mom started crying again and said she didn't want to lose me over this, that family was more important than money. I told her that I agreed family was more important than money, which was why I was so hurt. She said that wasn't what they'd chosen, but I said it was exactly what they'd chosen when they decided to lie to me and manipulate

me instead of having an honest conversation about the situation. My dad came over and said we were taking too long with the truck and we needed to finish up. He asked if I was going to give them my new address, and I said I'd think about it. He said that was ridiculous, that I was their daughter and they had a right to know where I was living. I told him that rights were earned through respectful treatment, and that I wasn't ready to share my personal information with people who had just spent months lying to me. My dad said I was being childish and vindictive. that I was punishing them for trying to help Jake. I said I wasn't punishing anyone,

I was protecting myself from people who had shown they were willing to manipulate me when it served their purposes. If they wanted a relationship with me going forward, they could start by acknowledging what they'd done wrong and making amends. We loaded the last few boxes and I returned the basement key to my parents. My mom was still crying and asking me to reconsider, saying that maybe we could work out a different rent amount or some other compromise. I told her that it wasn't about the money anymore.

I hugged my parents goodbye, though it felt awkward and forced, and told them that I loved them but I couldn't continue being part of a dynamic that was so unfair and dishonest. My mom said she loved me too and hoped I'd change my mind, and my dad said he thought I'd regret this decision. My friend and I returned the moving truck and then went back to her place where I basically collapsed on her couch. I've been here for hours now just processing everything that happened, and I keep going back and forth between feeling like I did the right thing and feeling like maybe I was too harsh.

I have to go to work tomorrow and I'm dreading it because I know I'm going to be exhausted and emotionally drained. But I also feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, like I finally stood up for myself instead of just accepting whatever treatment they wanted to give me. My new apartment is ready and I'm moving in tomorrow after work. It's going to be weird living alone again, but I think it's going to be good for me to have my own space where I don't have to worry about anyone else's drama or needs for a while. I still don't know if I'm the asshole here or if I'm finally doing what I should have done years ago. But I know I can't go back to the way things were, where I was expected to be grateful for scraps while Jake got the whole meal.