Kicked Out as a Teen for False Rumors Spread by My Brother, Years Later Parents See My Success and..

The Public Eye

Recently I got done with one of the most important projects of my career. I can’t mention the brand, but I was extremely lucky to write blogs and product descriptions for them. After the project was done, I requested the team I worked with to leave me positive reviews on my websites, which they were more than happy to do so.

I then took screenshots of some of their reviews to post on my Instagram as I knew working with this brand was a huge deal. As expected, a lot of other content writers reached out to congratulate me on my professional success and even reposted my story to help spread the word. This is how I started getting messages from strangers who also needed help with their website.

My relatives noticed this as well, and some of them reached out to congratulate me. Eventually I was contacted by my college’s principal. He had reached out to me after seeing that I was doing so well and wanted me to come to college for a seminar to talk to students about building a career as a content writer.

I was quite nervous, as I don’t do well when it comes to public speaking, but I decided to take a chance and agreed. When I found myself standing before eager faces sharing my experiences and insights, I felt like my life had come full circle. I spoke in my speech about the struggles I faced and how I worked hard to sustain myself despite all the hard days.

It was honestly a very fulfilling experience to empower others and contribute to the growth of the writer’s community. Some of my clips started going viral on Facebook groups as people reasoned with it. It felt good to be finally recognized for my hard work.

Last week I was invited to speak at a local news channel. It was a show about the benefits of content writing and they invited me to share my journey and insights with their viewers. I was a bit nervous but also excited for the opportunity.

During the show I talked about my experiences, the importance of client reviews, and how a simple appreciation post could open doors to incredible opportunities. The opportunity to reach a broader audience and inspire more individuals in the field was both humbling and exhilarating. When it finally aired, I shared some of these clips on my Instagram also as I was proud about being invited to a TV show.

The Reappearance of Abandoners

This is how my relatives and cousins started finding out how well I was doing in my career. You see, because my parents never talked about me to anyone, they had no idea that I was working with popular brands and getting invited to TV shows. This is how word quickly spread within my family.

I guess this TV interview must have finally reached my parents’ ears also because just a few days later, I was working on another project and had my phone on silent. When I was done with my work, I checked my phone and to my surprise, there were six missed calls from my mom. I was honestly shocked to see her name on my phone as it had been a long, long time since she had called me after all those years of silence.

I couldn’t fathom why she was calling me. I hesitatingly called her back and she picked up immediately. I asked her if everything was okay and my mom started to congratulate me.

My dad, probably sitting right there with mom, jumped into the conversation also. He started to inquire about my life and well-being, and I answered their questions without much thought. It didn’t strike me as unusual until they began to ask how much I was earning these days.

I told them “that it was none of their business”. And my dad replied “that were family so I shouldn’t feel shy telling them my income”. I told him “that I was doing well financially”.

Hearing this, my mom then began to say how hard their life was these days. My brows furrowed in suspicion. Basically here is how our conversation pretty much went:

Mom: “We are retired now and we have been wanting to renovate the house for a while now it’s not in the best shape but we have no savings left”.

Me: “Okay”.

Mom: “Your success has given us hope after watching your TV interview today we thought maybe you could help us out by paying for the renovations”.

Dad: “After all we are a family you shouldn’t hesitate to share some of your earnings with us we can really use your help”.

Me: “Are you joking with me why are you asking me for money when you haven’t even talked to me for years I don’t know what made you decide to reach out to me and while I appreciate the congratulations I am not going to help you out in any way”.

Hearing this, my mom started saying “how I was being a bitch and that I needed to support them as a family”. My dad also added “that as my parents they deserve to be looked out after and that this was the least that we could do”.

The Ultimatum

I was so pissed at this that I wanted to give them a piece of my mind. I suddenly got an idea that instead of just arguing with them, I should teach them a lesson forever thinking that they could mooch off me after mistreating me all those years ago. I told my parents that I was willing to help them if, and only if, they agreed to my demands.

My dad curiously asked me “what it was”. Without hesitation, I laid out my demand. If they wanted my help, they had to publicly admit in front of our family and friends that my brother was the mastermind behind the hurtful rumors that had tarnished my reputation.

I wanted them to humiliate my brother the same way they had humiliated me in front of everyone by believing his lies and manipulations. I wanted them to take accountability for their actions and acknowledge the pain they had caused. Hearing my impossible condition, my dad began to question the necessity of such an admission.

My mom told me “how this was all quite unnecessary and that we could have a private discussion without involving others”. But I held my ground. This condition was non-negotiable, a prerequisite for any assistance they wanted me to offer them in the future.

As the tension escalated, my dad raised his voice asserting his role as my father and started to emphasize “that it was my duty to help my family in need”. My mom, in a last-ditch effort, urged me to do the right thing and help them, emphasizing the years they had spent raising me. I couldn’t help but find irony in their sudden appeal.

I reminded them of the past, of the fact that they had kicked me out and it was my grandmother who had raised me, not them. They started to get more and more agitated but I told them firmly “that if they wanted to establish contact with me and seek my financial assistance from now on then the truth needed to be acknowledged publicly and my brother needed to face consequences for his actions”.

Since this conversation, my parents have been trying to incessantly call me, but I am ignoring their calls. I am starting to regret even calling them back that day. I would like to know if I would really be in a hole if I didn’t help my parents at all.