My Parents Let My Younger Siblings Skip Chores While I Had To Everything... - Best Reddit Stories

hey I've been debating whether or not to share this but I think I need to honestly I don't know how else to process what happened my name is Sophie I'm 20 years old and I've been living at home for a couple of years since I graduated high school but for the longest time I've been stuck in this weird dynamic with my family that I'm just so done with I have two younger siblings Jason 17 and Emma 14 and as far back as I can remember they've always been spoiled my parents have always been super strict

with me everything from chores to expectations about my future but for some reason they've let Jason and Emma get away with literally anything they never have to do chores they never get any consequences meanwhile I'm over here working a full-time job and coming home to do all the housework every single day I'll give you a quick rundown of how things usually go at home I wake up early to go to work then I come back at night exhausted but the moment I walk through that door the expectation is that I'm going to start cooking dinner

clean the kitchen do laundry and sometimes even take care of whatever mess my siblings leave behind Jason and Emma on the other hand sit around watching TV or playing on their phones they're literally never asked to help and I've had enough the situation really blew up last Thursday I had just gotten off a brutal 9-hour shift at my job my feet hurt I hadn't had time to eat and all I wanted was to lie down for 5 minutes but as soon as I walked in I was hit with the unmistakable smell of leftover food I

glanced around and saw Jason's dirty plate sitting right in the middle of the coffee table crumbs all over it now Jason has this thing where he always leaves his mess everywhere plates wrappers you name it it drives me nuts but at this point I've just gotten used to it because honestly I didn't want to start another fight but this time I couldn't do it anymore I walked past the plate trying to calm myself but then I heard my mom from the kitchen Sophie can you come in here and clean up the table Jason left his

plate again she called out now in my head I was already boiling why is it always me why am I the one cleaning up after everyone but I tried to stay calm and went into the kitchen mom I've been at work all day I'm tired Jason can clean up after himself for once I said not even trying to hide my frustration she didn't take that well Sophie you're the oldest you should be setting an example just clean it up you're acting like it's such a big deal I couldn't believe my ears Mom I'm not a

maid I do all the chores around here while Jason and Emma get a free ride why can't they just help for once mom gave me that look the one where she gets all defensive you're overreacting we don't have time for this just clean it up okay I felt my blood start to boil this isn't just about the plate you've been treating me like this for years I'm constantly working constantly cleaning and you never ask Jason or Emma to do anything I'm done Mom I'm done being the only one who has to do everything her face

hardened you're just being too sensitive you're 20 years old now Sophie you're an adult you're old enough to help out without complaining I felt my heart racing I'm an adult then why am I still stuck in this house doing all the work while you coddle them I gestured toward Jason and Emma who were both sitting in the living room oblivious to what was happening you're acting like this is such a big deal mom snapped again you should be grateful you're living here rentree instead of complaining your problem that was the breaking point for me the

frustration the exhaustion and the realization that I wasn't getting anywhere with them hit all at once I'm done I said before I even fully processed it I'm moving out mom froze her eyes wide what you can't be serious where are you even going to go I'll figure it out I said grabbing my car keys off the counter I've saved up for months I don't need this anymore my heart was racing but in that moment I felt free my mom called after me shouting something about how I didn't have to do this but I couldn't go

back I couldn't keep doing this to myself I wasn't going to stay and keep being treated like I was invisible I slammed the door behind me and as I got into my car I felt a sense of relief I didn't know where I was going to stay yet but I didn't care I just knew that I couldn't stay in that house another minute I don't think I've ever felt such a strange mixture of fear and excitement in my life the car ride was quiet iove drove around aimlessly for a bit just to clear my head

I wasn't sure where I was going to stay but I knew I couldn't go back home I parked at a nearby cafe and sat in my car for a while scrolling through my phone I found a couple of listings for rooms for rent and after making a few calls I ended up finding a place that seemed decent a small one-bedroom apartment in a quiet part of the city the rent was higher than I wanted to pay but I could manage it for now the idea of being away from my family not having to clean up

after them or deal with their constant criticism was worth it I signed the lease the next day and by the end of the week I had packed my stuff and was officially out of the house I took everything I needed my clothes some basic Furniture my work gear and a few keepsakes it was a strange feeling knowing that I wouldn't be coming back no more random chores or being told I was too sensitive the first few days were the most freeing I'd felt in a long time I stayed in my new place getting used to

the quiet I could come and go as I pleased and no one was there to tell me what I should or shouldn't do I cooked when I felt like it and if I didn't want to do anything I didn't have to it was a small place but it was mine and that was enough as the days went by things started to settle I got into a routine work the gym a bit of Netflix in the evenings and I started feeling more like myself again I still kept in touch with a few friends but honestly I

was starting to realize how toxic my family Dynamic had been I didn't have to carry the weight of all their problems on my shoulders anymore the freedom was incredible but then about a week into living on my own the call started at first it was just one voicemail from my mom it was typical her voice full of concern but not the kind of concern that comes from actually caring about how I was doing no this was a different kind of concern Sophie we need you to come back home the house is a mess you left

your things everywhere and no one's doing any of the chores your dad's been compling and Jason and Emma don't even know how to clean up after themselves please just come back for a little while it's getting out of hand we could really use your help I felt a little bit of anger bubbling up as I listened to the message help they hadn't cared about me helping before they'd never asked me what I wanted or needed but suddenly when the chores weren't getting done they wanted me back I didn't call her back the next day I

got a text from Jason it was blunt and to the point Sophie mom says you need to come home and help out the house is falling apart do you even care about us anymore I stared at the screen for a while trying to stop myself from replying with something snarky but instead I just put my phone down and shook my head they didn't even ask how I was doing or if I was okay they just wanted a ma I didn't answer and the messages kept coming for the next few days my parents then Jason and

even Emma all started reaching out in some form texts voicemails calls but it was all the same same they wanted me to come back and take care of things they were getting desperate for Mom Sophie please just come back and help clean the kitchen it's driving us crazy for MMA Sophie we haven't seen you in so long we miss you but also can you do your laundry when you get the chance from Jason Sophie seriously what's your problem mom said you're just being selfish just help us out for a bit I didn't know what annoyed

me more the fact that they were pretending to miss me or the fact that they still couldn't see that I wasn't just their housekeeper after everything I'd done for them everything I'd sacrificed all they cared about was how much work I was doing for them they didn't care about me they didn't care about what I wanted it was just the chorice one night after my parents left me yet another voicemail I snapped I was sitting at home finally getting some rest after a long shift when my phone bust I couldn't resist I called my mom

back Mom I started my voice calm but firm I'm not coming back I'm not your maid and I'm not going to be the one to clean up after everyone anymore there was a pause on the other end of the line what are you talking about she said her voice defensive you're acting ridiculous the house is a disaster and your dad's losing his mind you're the only one who could do anything about it no I'm the only one who ever does anything about it I've been doing everything for years and I'm done if you and Dad

want the house to be clean you need to start actually parenting your kids and teaching the responsibility I'm not cleaning up after them anymore well fine she snapped I guess you don't care about the family then I exhaled sharply no Mom I care about myself now and I'm not going to let you guilt trip me into coming back just to do everything for you I'm done the call ended with her angrily telling me to stop being selfish it stung but I felt a sense of finality I was never going back to that the next week

passed in a blur of work workouts and quiet nights alone in my apartment apartment for the first time in a long time I could actually breathe I didn't have to come home to a house full of Demands guilt trips and endless chores but of course my parents weren't about to let me go that easily it was a Thursday evening when my phone buzzed with a message from my dad Sophie this is getting out of hand we've been having to clean the whole house by ourselves you need to come home and help us or we won't

be able to manage anymore I stared at the text rolling my eyes it was the same old spe but this time it was more direct they were starting to get desperate and I could feel the pressure building I almost considered ignoring it but I couldn't resist I had to say something so I replied keeping it as cool as possible I'm not coming back Dad I'm not cleaning up after you all anymore it's not my responsibility to keep the house in order there was no response for hours and part of me thought that maybe they were

finally starting to get it maybe they were beginning to understand that I wasn't going to be their doorm anymore but just as I was about to relax my phone buzzed again this time with a call from Jason I was already irritated by their messages but I picked up anyway figuring I'd just shut it down quickly hey Jason said his voice calm but with an edge I didn't like why are you being so dramatic about this you know it's not just about the chores right Mom and Dad are really struggling they need help and you're just

throwing it all away I rubbed my temples already exhausted by the conversation before it had even fully begun Jason I'm not throwing anything away I'm done being treated like I'm the only one who can do anything you and Emma are old enough to start handling your own stuff Mom and Dad should have been teaching you that but you could help he persisted clearly getting annoyed you could just come back for a little while just until things calm down it's not like you're doing anything important over there anyway that last part hit a nerve I'm working

Jason I'm actually doing something with my life I'm not sitting around waiting for someone else to take care of me but you you sit around all day playing video games and leaving dirty dishes everywhere and then you expect me to pick up after you he laughed like i' said something funny yeah well we don't all have jobs do we you act like you're some big deal just because you work a little mom and dad are stressed enough without you acting like this I was done you know what I'm done talking about this you and Mom

and Dad can keep playing these games but I'm not your scapegoat anymore I'm not coming back I hung up before he could say anything else feeling my heart racing but no sooner had I set my phone down than it buzzed again this time it was from my mom I almost didn't want to open it but curiosity got the better of me Sophie we need to talk you need to come home your father is having a breakdown and the house is in complete chaos you're not being fair please just come back for a bit and help

us I felt a burst of anger flare up in me a breakdown I muttered to myselfe the ones who've been Breaking Me Down for years I didn't respond to her but I could feel the pressure of their demands pushing on me the weight of their expectations crawling under my skin I hated it that night I decided to take a walk to clear my head as I strolled through the streets I thought about what my parents had done to me the way they treated me like an unpaid maid the way they thought I should be grateful

for the scraps of Love they threw my way all while letting my siblings get away with murder it wasn't fair and now I was paying the price for standing up for my myself when I got back to my apartment I felt like something had shifted this wasn't just about cleaning the house anymore this was about my Independence my family had always expected me to been to their will to sacrifice my own happiness for their convenience but I had done enough they weren't going to make me feel guilty anymore a few days later the call started

again this time it wasn't just one voicemail or text it was relentless my mom called and left five messages in a row each one growing more frantic than the last Sophie we really need you to come back this is getting out of hand your dad can't handle it alone Jason and Emma won't do anything you're the only one who can help and then a couple of hours later another one please Sophie I'm begging you come back we'll make it right you don't have to do everything but just come back for a while we're desperate you're

the only one who can fix this the desperation in her voice was unmistakable but I could also hear the undertone of manipulation it wasn't about me it was about getting the house in order about getting me back to do the work they refused to do themselves I let the messages pile up each one a reminder of how much I'd done for them how much I had sacrificed for their comfort and now they were trying to guilt me back into the same role but I wasn't going back it wasn't long before Jason called again seriously you're

just going to ignore us like this you're letting the house fall apart because you're too stubborn to help it's pathetic I let the call go to voicemail I was done but as much as I tried to block them out I could feel their presence looming over me I could feel them pulling at the edges of my resolve the pressure to return to fix everything was mounting but I couldn't let them break me down again I was free and I wasn't going back not until they understood what they'd done to me a few days passed after

the last desperate messages from my mom I didn't want to go back I knew that but something kept gnawing at me some unresolved part of me that wanted closure that wanted to end it once and for all so I finally made the decision I was going back but this time it wasn't about fixing things for them it was about making it clear that I was done I threw on an old hoodie and jeans grabbed my keys and drove back to my parents house as I pulled into the driveway my heart began to race the house

was familiar but everything felt different now this was no longer home in the way it used to be it was a battlefield I took a deep breath and walked up to the door on knocked once then pushed it open without waiting for a response I could already hear my dad's voice from the other side of the door talking to Jason and Emma in the kitchen when I stepped inside the first thing that hit me was the smell the house smelled stale like the kind of place you only want to be in if you have no

other choice I didn't bother with pleasantries as I walked into the kitchen the second I walked in my parents faces lit up with surprise but then with relief Sophie you're back Mom rushed over her face practic glowing thinking I'd come to rescue them finally dad said getting up from the table we've been waiting for you things have really gotten out of control here Jason and Emma barely glanced up from their phones too absorbed in whatever was going on in their little worlds I stood there for a second watching their expressions expecting me to just fall

into the old role I had played for years the fixer the one who made everything right but instead I took a deep breath and let it out slowly no I'm not here to rescue you I said my voice steady but full of the weight I had been carrying for so long the confusion on their faces was palpable my mom took a step back blinking as though she couldn't quite understand what I meant what do you mean honey you're back we really need you no Mom you need me to clean up after you you need me

to fix your mess because you refuse to do it yourself I've been doing it for years and I'm done they fro and for the first time I saw something change in their eyes my dad opened his mouth to say something but I didn't let him I'm done being the one who keeps everything together while you all sit back and let me do it I continued I don't want to be the one who has to fix everything all the time just so you can pretend it's fine I turned and looked around the kitchen the counter was

piled high with dirty dishes the trash was overflowing the floor had crumbs and Spills on it and the sink was filled with unwashed pots and pants it was a mess a disaster look at this I said gesturing toward the kitchen this is what you've been asking me to come back to this is what you want me to clean up Mom stepped back we've been really busy Sophie your dad's been sick and we no stop making excuses this isn't about me coming back to ca this is about you all taking advantage of me for years and

not once thinking that maybe you should take some responsibility Jason and Emma are old enough to do their own chores I don't care if they're still in school you're the parents you should be teaching them not letting me do everything my dad's face flushed red with anger but I could see the crack in his usual defensive posture we never asked you to do all this for us he snapped you chose to help out no one made you do it I felt a burst of frustration but I didn't let it overtake me that's not the point

you've expected it from me Dad and I'm done I looked back at my siblings who were still glued to their phones you two don't get a pass either I added my voice sharp I'm not coming back to be your maid you need to start doing your share this whole dynamic where I clean and cook and do everything while you all sit back has to end Jason rolled his eyes wow dramatic much can't you just help us for once dramatic I'm done I said cutting him off I've been doing this for years and no one's appreciated

it not once I turned back to my parents I came here today to tell you that I'm done I'm not coming back I'm not going to be the one who picks up the pieces every time you mess up you need to figure this out on your own they stood there shocked staring at me my mom's lip quivered and I could see the wheels turning in her head but it was too late I had made my decision and I wasn't going to back down I'm leaving I said turning toward the door good luck as I walked

out of the house I could hear my Mom calling my name Sophie please don't leave we can fix this but I didn't turn around I kept walking letting the door shut behind me and I never looked back I got in my car and drove away my chest heavy but with a sense of relief I hadn't felt in a long time time I had taken my power back no more cleaning up after them no more feeling obligated to fix their problems it was time to live for me as I drove away I felt a sense of

finality I knew I had made the right choice it wasn't about being harsh it was about taking control of my life and not letting them drain me anymore what do you all think should I have done this sooner or was I right to finally put myself first let me know your thoughts