Reddit Stories - GUARDIANS COMPELLED me to LABOR from the age of 13 in order to

Episode Date: November 19, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #guardians #compelled #labor #ageof13 #obedienceSummary: GUARDIANS COMPELLED me to LABOR from the age of 13 in order to fulfill their desires, sacrificing my own dreams and aspirations. Struggling with obedience and duty, I faced internal conflict and sought validation in a world that demanded my compliance.Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, guardianscompelled, laborat13, obediencestruggle, internalconflict, validationseeking, compliancepressure, sacrificingdreams, dutybound, guardianshipissues, childhoodlabor, familyexpectations, personalaspirations, emotionalstruggle, selfidentitycrisis, societalpressuresBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Guardians compelled me to labor from the age of 13 in order to demonstrate my value, all the while pampering my sister who was separated. Subsequently, they insisted that I relinquish all my funds to cover the expenses of her elective surgery. So I called my grandfather who cut them out of his $300,000 inheritance. I, 18M, come from a weirdly patriarchal family. They are more problematic than they are patriotic. because all my life, I have had to face the music for being a boy, whereas my elder

sister, 25F, has been pampered with a lot of love and attention because she's the eldest and because she's a girl. I cannot stand her, and she doesn't bother about me. It has always been this way, and I think this is how it is going to be forever. I don't have any qualms about it, though. She is insufferable, and there is a reason that she doesn't have a single friend. No one other than my parents can even stand her for more than six months. The maximum time she has ever had one person, either a friend or a boyfriend, stick it out with her has been six months. And I don't blame them. With grace, even that is an achievement. And she is so thick that she doesn't even understand that the problem is with her. She has been made to feel all her life that she can do no

wrong, and everyone else is basically against her, and she has the right to cut anyone off who doesn't treat her like a queen. Well, too bad, the real world doesn't work this way. All this entitlement comes from the enabling behavior of our parents, who think no end of grace, to the point that there are days when Kelsey F-14, my younger sister, and I feel that they only wanted one child, and we are just there for decoration. But I am glad I have Kelsey with me. I love her more than I love anyone else in the world, and I want her to get out of this hellhole as soon as possible, especially because they encourage Grace's behavior and want Kelsey to copy her. And I know that if she ends up like Grace, she isn't going to be able to do anything in life. She is too young to be

turned into a prop, and I will not let that happen to her. It's a relief that her personality is completely opposite to that of Grace's, so she naturally doesn't have the propensity to behave like the queen of the house. I know it is only me who can protect her from the ridiculous and dated beliefs that my family has about everything. Ever since I was a kid, I had been taught that I was the man of the house and that I had to take up dad's business as an adult. It was hammered into me early on that being a man meant having endless responsibilities, being serious all the time, and earning money and providing for the family. That's what the men in my family did. I never knew any better, so that is what I inculcated within me.

However, the push to start earning my own money came early on. My father said that he was not going to offer me any sort of opportunities on a platter, and only if I could prove that I was worthy of his help, in the sense of financial aid for college, etc., would he be willing to shell out money for me? I had to prove my worth as a man to him. And all this when I was just a kid. I remember I was given this lecture before my 11th birthday when I had asked my dad, dad if I could have my friends over for a party. He said that I was transforming into a young man and

now I had to become aware of the responsibilities of the world and give up this childishness. I wish I hadn't listened to him, but at that point in time, I did not know better. I picked up a job when I was 13. It wasn't much, but I liked what I did. I used to walk the dogs of the families in the neighborhood initially, and then, I started dog sitting as well. I have always loved animals and because I started very young, I picked up the skills, knack, and most importantly, the patients for a job like this. It wasn't much, but it gave me money, some of which I spent, and most of which I saved. My parents were proud of me, and that made me proud of myself. They never asked me what I did with that money, they never asked me how much I made.

They just tried to ensure that I wasn't spending the money on dangerous things like alcohol and drugs. They used to check my room for the same regularly, but they never found anything, because I didn't have those habits. I used to stash my money and save it, and I had decided that I would be saving it all up and using it for college. I was naive back then. I thought that all this money would have been enough for college, when it clearly wasn't. Moreover, I was also quite sure that my father wouldn't be spending a dime on my education, especially since he had already told me that the only way that I could get financial assistance from him was if and only if I showed him that I was worthy of it. The thing with indoctrination of this kind is that I

never felt worthy of Dad's money. I still don't. And this experience is completely opposite to what Grace lives on a daily basis. She has had none of these struggles. The only thing that has ever been asked of her has been to look pretty and to make sure that she marries well. Those are the only two things that have ever been required of her. And this was driven home to her since she was young, I guess, because I never remember her even trying to do well in school or get into hobbies that aren't about makeup or dressing up. I still remember when I was not even 10, we had to go out to Dad's friend's place, and Grace was running a temperature at that point. She wasn't dressed up, and my parents were aghast. To them, a normal grace was much worse than a sick

Grace. She asked them to let her sit the party out because she wasn't feeling well anyway, but they forced her to go and said that we would only be there for a while. I think she might have had it bad, too, with them, but that just made her insufferable instead of a decent enough person. They've tried to put Kelsey through the same shit too, but I have been trying my hardest to not let her fall for this. Plus, with all of Grace's drama every other week, they are very occupied with her to bother much about us. The issue happened a few weeks ago, and I had never thought that it would blow up into something so major. I am not complaining, because I finally feel vindicated after all these years, but it just feels weird having the family

at each other's throats. It started because I got into one of the best universities in my state for undergrad, and I was quite proud of myself. I also got a full scholarship, so there was no issue of financial aid. Mom and Dad are proud of me, too, and Dad said that I had worked very hard and that he was proud of me. I rarely get to hear these words, so they mean a lot to me. However, what he said next just blew me out of my mind completely. He said that since I had a scholarship, I could work and pay for the living costs. I was kind of bummed because I had been working ever since I was 13,

only because I thought that maybe Dad would help me out when the time came because I had shown him that I was responsible. I had been hoping that at least my late teens would be enjoyable because I had spent every other part of my teen slaving away either at school or working. He said that he had been trying to train me for the trials of life ever since I was a boy. There were no trials, I could have had a very comfortable life. I was sullen for a while but I decided to talk to Dad about the situation. I was hoping he would understand, and even if he didn't, the worst that could happen was that he would scream at me. It didn't matter. I needed rest, I needed a break, and I needed a life. I went to

dad and told him that I had been working ever since I was a kid, and only because he had promised me that he would help me out with college if I showed him that I could be responsible with money and that I was worth all the effort and investment. I told him that I didn't know how else one could prove his worth and that I had tried my best all these years. I told him that I was tired of working, and I wanted to have a good experience in college, and I said that I wanted him to help me with living costs. I had quite a good sum saved because of all those years of working, but I told him that that wouldn't be enough for all my expenses, which is why I needed his help. He just sighed and he looked defeated. He said that he knew where I was coming from, but that he couldn't do much right now

because Grace was going through a lot. I lost it. I told him that Grace was always going through a lot. He had always preferred her over me. He had paid for all those exorbitant clothes and makeup for her. He had funded both her weddings out of his own pocket, and all for what, for her to be dumped by her husbands because she was an idiotic ass and she had no personality other than being a stupid Barbie doll. Dad looked exasperated and said that there was nothing that he could do other than help her out because she was in a very bad place right now.

The bad place is that she has had two divorces already. her first husband was Dad's friend's son, Luke. He was a couple of years older than her. They got married when she was 20 and he was 28, and he was done with her within a year. I don't know the details of the divorce. I was very young, and I was gladly kept out of it. All I knew is that Dad and that friend of his are still on good terms, but Dad has been kind of pissed with Grace ever since. She got married again two years ago, and this guy nobody in the family liked. His name is Andrew, Andy, and he just gives everyone the I don't know what she saw in him other than his money, because he is loaded. That part is

true. But he is just weird and disgusting. So much so that even my parents don't like him, and that is a surprise because they like everyone with money. Things went south in that marriage as well. He was a serial cheater. He knew he could get away with it because Grace was crazy. about the money and the luxury, so he knew how to shut her up. Mom and Dad had never liked him anyway, and they tried to get her to leave him, but she never listened to them. She said that she could not bear another failed marriage and that she would stay in it and make it work, no matter what it took. Well, what it took was another woman that he knocked up and left Grace for. So she came back home. That was a year ago, and she has been home

ever since. It has been horrible for me, and especially for Kelsey. Now that my parents have realized that their project has failed, and Grace couldn't do what they wanted her to, they have now started eyeing Kelsey. They try to get her to listen to them, but I have done my part well. I have trained her into not getting manipulated by them because I know their tactics. Grace, for her part, is miserable, and in all honesty, I don't really want to bring her out of her misery. I know being divorced twice by the age of 25 is a lot for anyone to take, but I cannot make myself feel bad for her. I just can't. I have never liked her, and I don't think I ever will. Anyway, so Dad told me that at this point in time, his focus was grace because she had had two

failed marriages already, and he had to do something about her. Which is why all the focus was going to be on her, yet again, and in hindsight, I don't even know why I was surprised, and that I needed to be understanding of the entire situation. I had wanted to scream at him then, but I thought it was just futile. And then he said something that just made all that simmering rage inside me burst to the surface. He told me that since I knew how bad things were for grace and because I had a full ride to university, so I was practically sorted, he wanted me to give all the money that I had earned to him so that he could use it for grace. And use it for what?

For cosmetic surgeries because she felt her husbands were leaving her because she wasn't pretty enough. I have never heard a proposition that was more ridiculous than this. I have never felt so much anger ever before. I would have slapped my father that day, honestly, I don't know how I didn't. I started screaming. I don't remember what I said, but I knew it wasn't sweet or nice. It was nasty. I was spewing shit verbally the entire damn time because I just couldn't believe his audacity.

I told him that I had ruined my entire childhood because of him and his stupid notions, and that was why he had failed both Grace and me. I told him that Grace was an unemployable little piece of shit because they never let her develop any personality or hobbies other than being beautiful and having a husband. Hi, I'm Darren Marler, host of the Weird Darkness podcast. I want to talk about the most important tool in my podcast belt. is the all-in-one platform that makes it easy to record, host, and distribute your show everywhere from Apple Podcasts to Spotify.

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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, Spreker'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-A-K-E-R.com. Which is why they were now feeling guilty for the way her life was, and they would pander to any and every whim and fancy of hers because that was the only way that they could feel less guilty. I told him that there was no way I was letting him touch even a penny of my money, especially for Grace's glow-ups. He was surprisingly calm and told me that he understood my frustration,

but that now was the time for me to stand by my family and do the right thing. I told him that I had been led by example, and if he had never done the right thing by me, I don't know how he could have expected me to do the right thing. I had never seen that happening in my life and my family. I had only seen favoritism and partiality, and if he wanted me to let go of all that just like that, that wasn't going to happen. I told him that I was a fool to expect him to help me out, and similarly, he was a fool for believing that I would be giving any money for grace. I then simply stormed out of the room and broke down. Was so, so frustrated. Logically, I knew that if I did end up taking a job, I would be able to

survive, and well, in college. But to hell with logic. I was just broken at that point. I think the fact that no matter what I did, no matter what I achieved or how I behaved, I was never going to be worthy enough for my family finally hit home. There were two children in the house. One was a young woman who never did well in school, got married twice, and then got divorce twice. She never had to lift a finger or want for anything. And she had to do just one thing, according to my parents, stay married. She couldn't even do that. On the other hand, there was me. I don't even remember the last time I was stress-free, or the last time I was truly happy. I was always either studying, working, or on the lookout for work. More than the money,

it was to prove to my parents, and especially my dad, that I was a good kid, and that I am doing what you want me to, so just love me in return. But that didn't happen, and I now know that it's never going to happen. Grace is their favorite, and nothing on earth can change that. So I knew that I had to do something, and fast, to be able to save both myself and Kelsey. I didn't know who to go to or who to talk to. I knew that talking to my uncles would be of no use because of they would only sympathize with me. And even if they tried to talk to Dad, Dad would just rebuff them, and it would all end up falling on me. The only people who could talk sense into my dad, and who Dad listened to, were my grandparents. I knew that they were the only ones who

could put an end to this crap. And by this point, I didn't even want Dad's money. I had reconciled myself to the fact that I would ultimately have to end up doing everything on my own and fund my way through college. Now I was out for blood. Now I wanted the world to know what really happened behind these closed doors and show the world who my father really was. Little did I know that one call to my grandfather and things would become so different. Had I known the kind of influence grandpa had over dad, I would have called him years ago to put an end to this shit. I called grandpa and told him everything. I didn't leave out a single detail, not the part where I worked only because I wanted to prove myself to my parents. Apparently, they had told everyone that I was

working because I wanted to, and they had tried to stop me from doing so many times, but I was adamant and never listened. I told him about the scholarship and dad's refusal to help me out financially, and finally, I told him about the cosmetic surgeries that Grace is planning, and that Dad is wanting me to fund. It was a long and hard call, and I had a feeling that Grandpa had not understood quite a bit of it. He told me to calm down and that he wanted to meet me and discuss it in person with me. I agreed. We met at his place the next day, he lives an hour away, and I repeated everything. He didn't interrupt me and didn't say much. By the time I was done, he just asked me what I wanted, and I said that I was not sure, but that I was sick of the

bias and the neglect. He told me that I had nothing to worry about and that he would take care of everything. This was last week, and nothing has happened as yet. Dad keeps trying to pressure me into giving my money, and now he has involved Mom as well. Mawn straight up emotionally blackmails me, but I am not going to relent. I know Grandpa is going to show up and I know he is going to blast the daylights out of Dad. I trust him. But now, I just cannot wait. for it to happen. I need my vengeance, and I need my justice. Update one, guys, the blow-up happened, and it was much worse, or rather better, than I had expected. I had honestly never thought that it would circle back like this, but hey, I'm not complaining in the slightest.

Grandparents came and called the family together. Dad thought this was just one of those regular meetings where we will have lunch and then be on our merry way. Boy, he was wrong. It started with Grandpa asking Dad what he was planning for Grace. Mom mumbled something, but Dad said that she wanted to enroll in a college and that they were contemplating what was best for her. Everyone knew that was a lie, but Grandpa was in no mood to play. He straight up asked Grace what courses and colleges she was looking at, but she had nothing to say. She stared blankly at everyone, and it caused so much embarrassment. L.O.L.

Dad was completely read in the way. the face. Then Grandpa turned to me and asked me what my plans were for college. I told him that I had a full scholarship, but I didn't have any help for living costs. He looked at Dad and made a face. Dad pretended not to see it. That's when Grandma came in. She asked Dad how much he was going to give me, not if he was going to give me money, but only how much. Dad said that we hadn't discussed it yet. That's when I said that actually we had discussed it, and he had completely refused to help me out. Grace kicked me from below the table, but I didn't care. This was coming out. Dad started laughing nervously, saying that it was just silly banter

between father and son, and my mother was glaring at me. If looks could kill, I would have been six feet under the ground, being eaten by insects right now. I retorted that it did not look like banner to me, and I had even been asked to give up all my savings to fund Grace's cosmetic procedures. Grandpa banged his hand on the table and asked Dad if it was true. I think Dad was too stunned to lie, and he immediately said yes. The entire room was quiet, and Grandpa, bless his heart, gave a lingering look to every single person present there.

He has a penchant for the Dramatics, and it worked beautifully. He asked Dad why he was behaving that way, but Dad didn't have an answer. He then turned to mom and asked her how she was okay with this partiality, but she didn't have anything to say either. He then got up and said that since the parents in this situation were choosing to stay quiet, he had no option but to take things into his own hands. He said that he had set aside a $300,000 inheritance for the three of us, which he had wanted to divide equally among the three of us. But he said that since my parents focusing all of their energies and money on grace, and not on Kelsey or me, he was forced to rethink this division. He said that he would

be leaving $30,000 for grace, and the remaining $270,000 would be divided equally among Kelsey and me. My jaw dropped. $135,000 is a lot of money. It's insane money. I had never wanted this. Like I had never told my grandpa that I wanted him to give me more money, so I don't know why he made this decision. But when he said this, all hell broke loose. Grace started yelling, saying that she never knew that there was so much money that she could use and that it was unfair that she was getting peanuts whereas Kelsey and I were getting so much. Grandpa told her that all her life, she had been getting so much, and Kelsey and I were getting peanuts, but she didn't protest then. Dad tried to chime in, saying that this wasn't fair and

grandpa was discriminating between his grandchildren. But grandma promptly said that they weren't discriminating, they were just being fair. It was mom and dad who had started the discrimination, and they were just trying to make things better and easier for the two other kids that mom and dad treated like crap. She also said that none of this would have happened had they been good parents and had they known that this is not how one lives in a family. Dad said that there was no need to punish grace for a crime that she didn't commit and that she should have her share. Grandpa got wild. By then, he was still a little civil.

But I think the fact that Dad just kept on defending himself and Grace and not saying sorry triggered Grandpa to no end. He said that actually, Dad was right, and I could hear Grace breathe a sigh of relief beside me. He said that the real culprits were Mom and Dad, and poor old Grace was not to blame. So he said that the inheritance die for Dad was now also going to go to Kelsey and me. I could see all the colors drain from Dad's face. It was evident that Dad hadn't thought this through, but too bad for him because Grandpa had. Dad quietly said that Grandpa couldn't do it, and he just said, watch me. It was a dead-ass Chad move, and honestly, that man has my respect.

He said that he had nothing more to say and that he would be taking our leave. He also warned Dad to not hound either Kelsey or me because we were not to blame in any way. He had done what he thought was right, and if Dad tried to manipulate or harass us, Grandpa said that he could go a lot lower. I think Dad is really scared because he hasn't said a single word to us ever since Grandpa left. Kelsey is a kid, and she doesn't understand much of whatever happened, but I know that Dad is petrified that Grandpa is going to follow through. Mom has been trying to talk to me, but I just avoid her like I've done all my childhood.

Now I'm suddenly the hot thing of the family, and everyone is sucking up to me, even Grace. I told her to piss off because she was the last person I wanted to talk to. I am just so glad that Grandpa has cut them off, and now they're finally going to face the consequences of their actions. As for me, that's a lot of money, and I know I'm going to be set for life with that kind of a head start. As of now, I don't have to worry about college, and I don't have to worry about after college either. Update 2. This is just a small update. I have left for college. Leaving home was bittersweet. Kelsey hugged me and cried, and I cried too. I know it's going to be very difficult for her, and I know that my parents are going to try and manipulate her. I have told her to tell me

everything that happens in the house, and she has promised me that she will. I can only hope I can do enough to save her and not let her get brainwashed by the idiots that I have to call my parents. Grandpa said that I can use part of my inheritance for the living costs, and I am very grateful to him. I told him that I will probably take up a job because, for me, it wasn't really about the money. It was more about the lack of acceptance and the neglect that I faced from my parents. All that rage was just that. He said that he respected my decision and that I was much more of a man than his own son, but he also said that he wanted me to enjoy life because responsibilities and duties will always keep on burdening me. So we reached an agreement that I will try working,

and if that strains me or doesn't work out for me, I will not hesitate and reach out for that inheritance because it is mine by right. I thanked him, and both of us cried a little. I don't think I will be using the inheritance, and I don't even mind working. It just feels nice to have someone support me, to have someone to bank on, financially and more than that, psychologically. I guess I have missed this feeling my entire life, and it is all very overwhelming for me now. I won't be updating anymore because I am starting a new phase of my life away from home, and I want to keep the resentment at bay as much as possible. Hopefully, I will not need to post again.