A woman had been treated like an outcast in her family since birth. However, to her shock, they asked her for help and even expected her to risk her own life while doing it.
A family sitting in the patio | Source: Pexels
A 31-year-old female on Reddit revealed her family had mistreated her ever since she came to be. She has an older sister named Mary, 33, who has always been the favorite in their household and described by their parents as “the golden apple baby.” The Original Poster (OP) explained that she, on the other hand, “was an accident,” having been born prematurely with a heart condition, adding:
“Growing up, I was in and out of the hospital receiving countless surgeries.”
As if that were not enough, OP’s parents constantly told her that she was draining up their money even though her grandparents always chipped in for shortfalls.
An elderly couple sitting with their granddaughter | Source: Pexels
Regarding her relationship with her sister, OP revealed Mary never hid the hatred she felt for her and bullied her relentlessly while their parents failed to intervene. Once she graduated high school, she made sure to get away from her by asking their grandparents to pay for her college fees in another state.
That was the “best decision” for OP because that is where she met her now-husband Greg, who treats her better. After the couple graduated, they wed, and the bride’s grandparents paid for the wedding as her parents refused, saying they had already spent a lot of money on her sister’s wedding the previous year.
The bride and groom standing beside the window | Source: Pexels
OP said her mom and dad even snubbed her wedding, and she and her newly wedded spouse decided to settle in the city where they graduated. From that point, she rarely communicated with her family apart from her grandparents.
The couple later welcomed a son together, and OP revealed it was a high-risk pregnancy. Doctors even advised her to terminate because the results could be dire, but the mother and son luckily made it. But she almost died as the condition put a strain on her heart. OP revealed:
“I was strongly urged by doctors to not have any more children and we agreed.”
A woman carrying a baby in the theater room | Source: Pexels
About a month ago, OP and her husband and child moved back to her hometown as her grandfather’s health started to decline. She wanted to be near him. After moving back there, her mother and sister started acting “nice” toward her.
“My mom would ask me how I was doing and tell me how proud she was of me, which is something she never does. My sister would join and do the same. I knew something was up,” said OP.
OP was invited to her parents’ home for a family dinner two weeks later. While seated at the table, her sister told her she had a gift for her. Mary took out a card, and OP opened it, hoping it was an apology letter. She recalled:
“But no, to my surprise it was a letter stating that my sister found out she’s infertile and congratulating me on becoming her surrogate.”
Two women standing in the living room | Source: Pexels
OP said she was “floored” by that and told Mary she could not be her surrogate. She attempted to explain what her pregnancy did to her heart, and Mary started crying. OP’s parents began screaming at her, saying she was being selfish for not wanting to help her sibling. She told them doctors advised her not to have any more children, only for them to say, “For family, you take risks.”
“I couldn’t believe it. I grabbed my husband and stormed out. I can’t help but to feel bad still,” OP expressed in her post. She asked Reddit users whether she was a bad person for not wanting to be her sister’s surrogate, risking her health in the process.
Redditors commented on the situation, saying she is not wrong for not wanting to risk her own health. They mentioned that it was apparent they were using her and that she and her husband and child should move away for her sanity. Someone else said OP should not feel bad about shutting down people who think her life is disposable.
Read more about parents who kicked their teenage son out of their home only for them to see his expensive house seventeen years later.
