My sister burned my passport to keep me home for babysitting instead of my trip to France but result

hi I'm Kelly I'm 23 years old and living with my parents while finishing up my last year of college you'd think life would be pretty straightforward right now study pass my exams and finally graduate but no things are far from simple and the main reason is my older sister Lauren and her twin toddlers Lauren is 30 married and has her own house across town you'd assume that means she handles her own responsibilities especially when it comes to taking care of her own kids but in my family things don't work that way ever since her twins

were born 5 years ago I've somehow ended up as her goto babysitter whether I like it or not it all started when I was just a freshman in college one day Lauren showed up at our house unexpectedly carrying two tiny babies and a diaper bag that looked like it weighed more than she did she had this urgent look on her face Kelly I have a really important meeting can you watch them just for an hour she asked I didn't think much of it at the time they were so little barely a few months old and

I figured it wouldn't be too hard so I said yes that 1 hour turned into two then three then four before I knew it the sun had set and I was exhausted from changing diapers feeding and trying to calm down two fussy babies when Lauren finally came back she wasn't carrying work documents or looking stressed from a long meeting no she was holding several shopping bags and had a guilty smile on her face thanks so much you're such a natural with them she said cheerfully I should have known right then that this was only the

beginning from that day on Lauren started dropping off the twins whenever she needed to run errands go to appointments or let's be real just get some time to herself at first it was for a couple of hours then it turned into entire weekends I tried to set boundaries I really did Lord laen I have midterms coming up I told her once when she showed up unannounced diaper bags in hand I really need to study she just rolled her eyes and brushed past me into the living room don't be so dramatic she said already setting up

their things they mostly just sleep anyway you can study while they nap anyone who has ever been around babies knows that's not how it works between the endless diaper changes feeding schedules and their constant need for ATT ion finding time to study was impossible I was falling behind in my classes running on barely any sleep and missing out on time with my friends one weekend after she dropped them off for the third time in a row I finally snapped Lauren I haven't seen my friends in weeks I complained she just Shrugged you'll be fine they

love spending time with you sure but at what cost now as I count down the days to my college graduation I can't help but wonder will she ever stop relying on me like this or will I still be babysitting these kids when I'm 30 I need time for myself too I need some time for myself too I told Lauren hoping she would understand she just rolled her eyes what do you mean you have plenty of free time the babies don't take up that much of it she grabbed her purse and headed for the door besides

isn't this what sisters are for we need to help each other that became her favorite line every time I tried to say no every time I told her I had classes homework or wanted to see my friends she would remind me sisters should help each other to Lauren nothing was more important than family and because of that my life kept repeating the same cycle month after month year after year my college experience wasn't like my classmates while they were going to parties making memories and enjoying their youth I was babysitting I learned how to write

essays with one hand while rocking a crying baby with the other the twins Grew From tiny helpless newborns into energetic toddlers but Lauren's expectations never changed if anything they got bigger there's so much easier to handle now she'd say they can walk and talk it's basically like having little friends over but 5-year-olds still need constant supervision they still get into everything whether it's climbing bookshelves or or drawing on the walls with markers watching them was never as easy as Lauren made it sound finally after four exhausting years of juggling school and babysitting my graduation day

came and went I was officially done with college to celebrate my friends and I met at our favorite Cafe the place where we had spent countless hours studying and dreaming about the future so what's next for everyone Diane asked stirring her latte we all heading into different direction soon that's what I wanted to talk about Heather said excitedly we should do something together before we all go our separate ways One Last Adventure what about France I suggested I had always wanted to go there the idea caught on instantly it was like lighting a match in

dry grass suddenly everyone was talking at once pulling out their phones checking flights and looking up places to stay for the first time in years I felt a spark of excitement not for Lauren not for babysitting but for myself I couldn't believe this was really happening my grandmother had given me $10,000 as a graduation gift and now my dream of traveling was finally coming true look at these flight prices Maria said excitedly if we book now we can get really good deals we spent the next few hours planning everything flights hotels sightseeing by the time

we left the cafe we had booked our tickets and reserved our hotel rooms our trip was set for just a few weeks away I was beyond excited that evening when I got home I found out my parents had invited Lauren and her family over for dinner I couldn't wait to share my big news we're going to France I said grinning Lauren's Fork dropped onto her plate with a loud Clank her eyes widened when exactly are you planning to go she asked her voice sharp the second week of July I said taking another bite of Mom's

lasagna we got amazing deals on the tickets Lauren's face turned red the second week of July are you kidding me I looked up confused what's wrong with July that's when Jack and I are going on our trip you knew that you did this on purpose she snapped what no I didn't know don't lie you absolutely planed this just so you wouldn't have to watch the twins I put down my Fork suddenly not hungry anymore Lauren I didn't know about your trip we just planned this today well you need to cancel it she said firmly you

can go to France anytime but we've already booked everything for our trip and we need you to watch the kids I can't cancel I said trying to stay calm we've already paid for our tickets and hotels too besides this is my only chance to travel with my friends before everyone moves away Lauren rolled her eyes don't be ridiculous your friends will still be here my trip is more important I haven't had a vacation in years you need to stay and babysit I took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes I'm not changing

my plans Lauren everything is booked and I'm going this is ridiculous you're being completely selfish she shouted my face burned with frustration selfish I repeated I've spent the last four years dropping everything whenever you needed a babysitter this might be my last chance to travel with my friends before we all move away do you understand that we won't get another chance like this Lauren slammed her hand on the table making the silverware Rattle and what am I supposed to do with the twins have you thought about that I opened my mouth to answer but she

kept going mom and dad are too busy she added quickly mom is working over time at the office and dad is still recovering from his health problems you know that I stared at her my heart pounding I knew she was hoping I'd back down like I always did but this time I wasn't going to I finally chose myself I watched dad quietly push his food around his plate avoiding eye contact he had been looking tired lately that was true but I knew what Lauren was doing twisting the situation to get her way like always there's

an easy solution I said trying to keep my voice calm hire a babysitter Lauren let out a loud sarcastic laugh a babysitter I don't trust strangers with my kids besides Jack and I are saving up to buy a house we can't waste money on a babysitter when you're perfectly capable of watching them I cross my arms if you can afford a vacation you can afford a babysitter that's different she snapped this trip is important for our marriage Jack and I need time together then her tone softened slipping into her usual Guilt Trip there's no problem

here Kelly you just need to stay with the twins like you always do it's not a big deal not a big deal something inside me snapped you know what I'm done arguing about this I said firmly I've made my decision I'm going to France Kelly no I stood up from the table I've spent years changing my plans for you I've missed parties study groups and time with my friends because you needed a babysitter not anymore you're not going to guilt me out of this trip this isn't about guilt Lauren shot back it's about family responsibility

and what about your responsibility as a parent I said my voice Rising it's not my job to provide free child care whenever you want it if you need someone to watch the twins hire a babysitter I took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye I'm going to France with my friends and that's final Lauren's face turned bright red she opened her mouth to argue but I didn't wait to hear it I walked away from the table heart pounding for too long I had let her control my life with guilt and the idea

of family duty but this time I was choosing myself the Calm before the storm the next two weeks were strangely quiet mom and dad stayed out of the fight between Lauren and me only saying that we needed to work things out ourselves but Lauren nothing no calls no texts no surprise visits with the twins it should have felt peaceful but instead it felt like the Calm before a storm I focused on packing and getting ready for my trip trying to push down the anxiety in my stomach the day before I was supposed to leave I

was going through my final checklist when I realized I had forgotten a few things I'm running to the store I called out to Mom grabbing my car keys just need to pick up some last minute stuff for tomorrow I was gone for maybe an hour weaving through the crowded store to find everything I needed but when I got back home I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped through the door my passport was ruined I stepped through the door and something fell off the house was too quiet but at the same time I could

hear the faint sound of giggling coming from the living room my heart started started pounding I knew those Giggles Gary and Nicholas were here but why Lauren had brought them over in 2 weeks I rushed into the living room and froze there sitting cross-legged on the floor were my nephews in their small hands was my passport no no no I lunged forward snatching it from them my hands were shaking as I held the booklet Whispering please be okay please be okay but it wasn't okay nothing about this was okay I flipped it open and my

stomach dropped where my photo should have been there was just a ragged hole the edges were uneven clearly cut with scissors the pages completely covered in colorful scribbles red blue green and purple marker streaks ran across every single page even the Visa stamps and official Pages were destroyed I started screaming I couldn't hold it in all the stress all the frustration all the careful planning gone in an instant tears blurred my vision as I clutched the ruined passport to my chest my passport my passport I collapsed onto the couch shaking this couldn't be happening not

now not when I was less than 24 hours away from my dream trip my screams echoed through the house bouncing off the walls like my Shattered Dreams of France through my tears I noticed something else there wasn't a single adult in sight who had left the twins alone and where had they even gotten scissors before I could process it Mom Dad and Lauren rushed into the living room drawn by my screams I held up my destroyed passport my hands still trembling look what they did I choked out between sobs look at my passport Lauren's face

showed no shock no guilt no apology instead she just crossed her arms sighed and clicked her tongue like she was scolding a child Kelly you really need to be more careful with your important things she said in a condescending voice I blinked was she serious how many times have I told you not to leave stuff lying around where the kids can get them she continued shaking her head like this was somehow my fault then she turned to our parents her voice suddenly calm and reasonable as if she were just discussing the weather you know how

less Kelly can be she said she probably left her passport out on the bed or something the twins are just curious they found it and wanted to play I snapped are you kidding me I shot up from the couch my whole body shaking with Rage that's impossible she thought she could trap me again I never leave my things out especially when the twins are here I said firmly I've learned that lesson after 5 years of babysitting them Lauren raised an eyebrow pretending to be confused well clearly you didn't learn it well enough oh that was

rich coming from her if I'm so careless I snapped my voice getting louder then why do you always leave your kids with me why trust such an irresponsible person with your precious twins Mom and Dad stood silently between us their eyes stting back and forth like they were watching a tennis match mom looked worried dad's hands were clenched at his sides they had never seen me this angry before and I wasn't done another thing I continued anger bubbling inside me like a storm ready to explode my passport was in my suitcase in a locked suitcase

inside that it was in a zippered security pocket inside a folder with my other documents I stared hard at Lauren Are you seriously trying to tell me that three 5-year-olds somehow managed to break into all of that by themselves for a split second I saw something flicker in her eyes fear but just as quickly it was gone she put on her usual calm innocent expression the same one she always used when sweet talking me into babysitting for just a few hours that always turned into days I don't know how it happened she said smoothly her

words slow and carefully chosen kids can be very resourceful when they want to be but there's no point in placing blame here the fact is you clearly weren't careful enough with your documents I felt sick she wasn't going to admit it she wasn't going to take any responsibility instead she folded her arms and Shrugged the twins are 5 years old Kelly they can't be held responsible for this you're the adult here this is your fault her voice was calm her face blank like she wasn't ripping my entire future apart in one breath I had spent

years giving into to her years of dropping everything to babysit years of missing out on parties study groups and weekend trips years of watching my life shrink to fit around her needs and now this was how she repaid me Lauren turned to our parents putting on her best fake sympathetic voice well she sighed since Kelly won't be able to go on her trip now she can just stay home and watch the twins while Jack and I go on our vacation it actually works out perfectly then she smiled that same sickly sweet smile she always used

when dumping her responsibilities on me the room started spinning I felt bile rise in my throat my legs gave out and I collapsed onto the couch violent sobs shaking my body through my tears I realized something she thought she had won she thought she had trapped me again but she was wrong this time I wasn't giving in the truth comes comes out I saw mom's shocked expression and Dad's clenched jaw in the corner the twins stood unusually quiet their small faces looked confused as they watched the argument unfold they kept glancing between their mother and

me unsure if they had done something wrong it felt like hours had passed but it was probably only minutes my chest was tight but I finally managed to catch my breath a strange calm washed over me it was the kind of calm that comes after a storm when you realize you have nothing left to lose I looked up at my father Dad I said my voice horse from crying Lauren did this she planned the whole thing those little boys didn't get into my suitcase by themselves my hands were still trembling but my voice was steady

I wasn't going to be the quiet obedient little sister anymore Lauren let out a sharp dismissive laugh it cut through the room like a knife oh please she scoffed now you're just being ridiculous you can't throw around such serious accusations without proof Kelly where's your evidence she was so confident too confident it was the confidence of someone who had always gotten away with everything the smug look on her face made my hands shake with anger I opened my mouth to respond but before I could dad spoke his voice was quiet but there was an edge

to it that made everyone stop he turned to the twins Gary Nicholas come here for a minute the boys hesitated then walked over dad knelt down so he was at their level his eyes usually warm were serious now can you tell Grandpa where you got Aunt Kelly's passport the twins exchanged glances then Gary stepped forward bouncing slightly on his toes like he always did when he was excited to share something Mommy gave it to us he announced proud she said we were going to surprise Aunt Kelly Nicholas nodded quickly not wanting to be left out

yeah Mommy said Aunt Kelly had an ugly picture in her passport and we should cut it out my breath caught in my throat Gary kept going happily spilling every detail she gave us the big scissors from the kitchen and the markers too mommy said we could make it pretty with lots of colors Nicholas added she said Aunt Kelly would be so happy silence a deep heavy silence that filled the entire room the only sound was the slow ticking of the old grandfather clock in the corner I turned to look at Lauren her face had gone

pale all the confidence she had just moments ago gone she opened her mouth but no words came out for the first time in my life my perfect Untouchable older sister was speechless Mom's hand was pressed against her mouth her eyes flicking between Lauren and me like she was seeing us both clearly for the first time Dad's expression had turned to stone his earlier patience had disappeared now there was something else in his eyes something that told me things would never be the same again everything changed that night I had never seen Lauren look scared before

but now she was terrified and what happened next would stay in my memory forever Dad who had never raised his voice in all my years suddenly exploded what is wrong with you his Roar shook the entire room the twins clutched each other their little faces full of fear have you completely lost your mind Lauren Lauren took a shaky step back her face white as a sheet dad I don't you dare try to explain this away he thundered his hands trembled as he pointed at her this isn't just some Childish prank you destroyed your sister's passport

you manipulated your own children into helping you sabotage Kelly's trip mom pulled the twins close shielding them from the fight I sat Frozen on the couch watching my father finally unleash years of pent up frustration we have always helped you Lauren your mother and I have bent over backwards to support you Kelly has sacrificed her entire college experience to be your personal babysitter and this is how you repay her Lauren's lips trembled I just needed dad D let out a bitter laugh you just needed you've crossed every line there is to cross then his voice

dropped to something even scarier than his shouting a cold Steely tone well let me tell you something that agreement we had about helping you by a house consider it cancelled Lauren's face drained of color what no Dad please that $400,000 he said eyes burning with anger it's not to you anymore I'm giving it to Kelly instead she can use it to buy her own apartment far away from your manipulation and control Lauren burst into tears mascara streaking down her cheeks she turned to Mom desperate for help but Mom just shook her head her voice full

of disappointment I'm so disappointed in you Lauren I never thought you'd do something like this I don't even recognize the person you've become silence fell over the room the only reminder of the chaos my ruined passport still lying on the coffee table my dream trip gone at least for now but then my phone rang it was Diane when I told her what had happened her response made me burst into fresh tears but this time they weren't sad ones then we'll reschedule she said simply it'll take what a couple of months to get a new passport

well wait and then I heard the voices of my other friends in the background all of us will wait I had lost my trip but I had finally gained my freedom and that that was worth more than any vacation a trip worth waiting for I felt a lump in my throat touched by their loyalty you guys would really wait for me I asked of course all of us Heather said in our group chat FR France has been there for thousands of years it can wait a little longer Maria had already started Ed looking up how

to change our bookings most Airlines and hotels have flexible policies she said we might lose a small fee but it's worth it to go together their support meant everything to me while my sister had tried to ruin my plans my friends proved that real family isn't always about blood sometimes it's about the people who choose to stand by you who refuse to let your dreams be destroyed by someone else's selfishness finally France months later later I was finally boarding a plane to France a brand new passport in my hand my friends had managed to rebook

almost everything with minimal extra costs a few hundred in change fees was nothing compared to the joy of keeping our Dream alive I still can't believe we're actually here Diane said as the plane took off I squeezed her hand overwhelmed with gratitude for my friends they had waited for me and the wait was worth it France was everything I dreamed of and more we wandered through the ancient streets of Paris marveling at the Coliseum and tossing coins into the Trevy fountain in Ruan we spent hours in the uy gallery staring at breathtaking art before climbing

to the top of the dwo where the view left us speechless lion was even more magical than I imagined especially at Sunset when the canals glowed golden under the evening light one afternoon as we sat by the French Steps Heather took a bite of gelato and sighed this alone was worth the wait she declared Maria laughed scrolling through the photos on her phone these are going to make the best Christmas cards but the best part of the trip it wasn't just the sightseeing it was the freedom for the first time in 5 years I didn't

have to check my phone for messages from Lauren no last minute babysitting emergencies no guilt trips no manipulation just me my friends and the adventure we had planned together a fresh start back home everything had changed the house was peaceful now without the constant chaos of the twins running around no more Lauren demands echoing through the Halls dad had already started transferring the house money to my name instead of Lawrence one morning over coffee I told Mom I found a nice two-bedroom apartment near the city center it's perfect for starting my new job she smiled

looking looking more relaxed than I had seen her in years your father and I are so proud of you sweetheart you handled everything with such Grace as for Lauren she hadn't been back to the house since the passport incident mom still called her sometimes keeping the line of communication open but distant according to Mom Lauren had quit her job to stay home with the twins but we all knew the truth she hadn't chosen to stay home she just couldn't find free child care anymore more choosing my own life she's learning to be a real mother

mom said one day during one of our talks it's about time Dad stayed firm in his decision about the money actions have consequences he would say whenever mom brought up Lauren she's an adult she made a choice to hurt her sister I'm not going to reward that behavior the twins still asked about me sometimes according to Mom's updates from her phone calls with Lauren I missed them but I knew that keeping my was the right thing to do for now maybe one day when they were older we could have a relationship that wasn't controlled by

their mother's manipulation a new beginning in the meantime I was building my own life the trip to France had given me more than just memories it had shown me who I was when I finally stopped letting others control my choices my new apartment was a fresh start a space that was truly mine no one could show up unannounced no one could demand favors no one could make me feel like I owed them my time finally living for me you know what the best part is I asked my friends during one of our weekly dinner meetups

they looked up Curious for the first time I feel like I'm actually living my own life I said smiling not just playing a background role in Lawrence sometimes guilt crept in I thought about the rift in my family dad's harsh stance the twins growing up without aunt but then I remembered my destroyed passport I remembered the cold calculated way Lauren had tried to trap me again and I knew I had made the right choice Lauren may have lost a babysitter but I had gained something far more valuable my freedom