My parents left everything to my brother, so I stopped paying their bills. A month later, my mother texted me.

You’re a traitor! Did you really have to air our dirty laundry in public? You have absolutely no respect for family!” Dad shouted.

She shouted into the phone, “You ruined everything, Jacob. You’ll regret it.”

You’ll regret cutting off contact with us. You’ll regret turning your back on your family. But the difference? I don’t regret it.

Not even for a second. I blocked them all. It was over.

And for the first time, I was free. Free from its toxic grip. Free from being the scapegoat…

Freed from the endless expectation of having to solve their problems over and over again. As the days passed, I felt a weight lifting from my shoulders. I was no longer the person they wanted just for my abilities.

Now I had the freedom to live my life the way I wanted. That’s why I don’t feel guilty about leaving them. I deserve better.

I deserve even better. And from now on, I’ll surround myself only with people who appreciate me for who I am, not for what I can give them.