Family should be a sanctuary—filled with love, security, and support. But what happens when parents become the source of turmoil? This collection shares real-life accounts of children shaped by their parents’ heartbreaking choices.
Story 1
Before I turned 18, my mother used my Social Security number to open accounts—then let them fall into collections. My credit was ruined before I even started. I cleaned up the mess she left behind.
Story 2
My mother abandoned me at 12. Twenty-five years later, she wanted to meet my daughter. I warned her, “She’ll use you.”
Two years later, after my mother passed, my daughter received a call from her lawyer. She had left behind a suitcase filled with my childhood drawings—things I thought she had forgotten. I never gave her a second chance, but my daughter did.
Story 3
At my wedding, my estranged father pulled my fiancé aside. When he returned, he was pale.
“We need to talk.”
Turns out, the man I called Dad wasn’t my father. My mother had an affair—with his brother. My real father was my uncle.
My wedding day was supposed to be a new chapter, but it became the day I uncovered the truth.
Story 4
Story 5
I inherited $15,000 from my grandmother. My parents let me buy a boombox—then took the rest. My siblings got their full inheritances. They still refuse to admit they stole from me.
Story 6
As kids, my dad once made us PB&J sandwiches. My sister got a happy face in hers. I got a sad face.
When I asked why, he said, “Because I don’t like you.”
Decades later, I don’t think his feelings have changed.
Story 7
Growing up, my mom’s best friend was always around. Turns out, she was more than a friend—she was my mom’s girlfriend.
My parents’ marriage was never romantic. My dad needed a business partner, and my mom wanted a child. They even slept in separate rooms. I didn’t piece it together until my 20s.
Story 8
Story 9
I always thought I was my mother’s firstborn—until I found out she had a child as a teen and gave them up for adoption.
She even reused their middle name as my first name.
When I confronted her, she denied it. My grandmother confirmed the truth. My mother was such a compulsive liar that I learned to assume the opposite of whatever she said.
Story 10
I’m being kicked out for refusing to let my mother talk to my therapist without me present. I pay for the sessions.
She’s threatened to throw me out dozens of times. But this time, I’m standing my ground.
Story 11
At 18, my father got his green card. He could have helped me—but didn’t.
Five years later, I started the process on my own. What should have taken one year? Now, it’ll take 25–30. Thanks, Dad.
Story 12
Shortly after I was born, my dad cheated on my mom—because he was jealous of the attention she gave me.
Years later, my grandmother defended him, saying he was justified since my mom sometimes went out dancing.
Story 13
