At My Promotion Party, My Father Declared, “Your Raise Belongs To Your Sister -Reddit Stories

at my promotion party my father declared your raise belongs to your sister since she needs it more my boss laughed and said that's funny because she's not getting a dime my parents started screaming when they heard that night was supposed to be one of the best of my life I had worked my ass off for years pulling overtime taking on the worst projects and dealing with more workplace drama than I care to admit and finally finally it all paid off I got the promotion I had been dreaming of a raise big enough to change my

life I could move out of my cramped apartment start saving for a house maybe even take a real vacation for the first time in years so my boss let's call him Mark decided to throw a little party for me it was nothing crazy just a dinner at a nice restaurant with a few co-workers and my family I was proud I wanted my parents to see what I had achieved wanted them to know that everything I had sacrificed every holiday Mist every sleepless night had been worth it but the moment my dad opened his mouth I

knew I had made a huge mistake we were sitting at the table drinks in hand laughter filling the air Mark had just raised a toast in my honor congratulating me telling everyone how hard I had worked I was beaming and then my dad without missing a beat said well of course all that extra money is going to your sister she needs it more than you do the table went silent I felt my stomach drop I thought no I hoped I had misheard him I turned to look at him praying he was joking that maybe he

had won too many drinks but his face was serious I forced a laugh what he sighed like I was the one being ridiculous your sister's struggling you know that she's got the kids she's got bills she needs that money you don't I sat there Frozen as he took a sip of his drink like he had just said something completely normal I could feel my boss staring at me hell everyone at the table was staring at me my mom of course nodded along like this was just a fact of life my sister let's call her Nicole

was avoiding my eyes suddenly very interested in the menu Mark chuckled setting his drink down that's funny he said shaking his head because she's not getting a dime my dad's face Twisted in confusion excuse me Mark turned to me how much of a raise did you get I swallowed my face burning 50% Mark nodded 50% and every single penny of that is going into your bank account because you earned it he turned back to my dad his expression cold I'm not sure what kind of arrangement you had in mind but I'll make one thing clear

you don't get to decide where her money goes and neither does she he pointed at Nicole she has a job if she needs more money she can earn it just like your daughter did my dad's face went red you don't understand he said said Voice Low family helps each other Mark smiled but there was no warmth in it you're right but you don't get to dictate what help looks like and then like a damn breaking my parents lost it my mom went first you don't get to talk to us like that she snapped slamming her

hand on the table we are her parents she wouldn't be where she is without us Mark just leaned back in his chair really because from what I can see she got here in spite of you I thought my dad was going to throw his drink at him instead he turned on me you're really just going to sit there he hissed after everything we've done for you after all the sacrifices we made you're really going to hoard that money while your own sister is drowning Nicole of course stayed silent she always did she had perfected the

art of looking helpless of letting our parents fight her battles for her and suddenly I saw it the years of trips the lectures about family the way they had always expected me to step up to help to be the good daughter while Nicole got to live however she wanted with zero consequences I had spent my whole life grateful for things they were supposed to do as parents putting a roof over my head feeding me keeping the lights on and they had weaponized it made me feel like I owed them for simply doing their job I

had given so much and they had taken it never once thinking I might actually want something for myself I looked at Nicole she finally met my eyes and she smirked that was it that was the moment something inside me snapped I set my drink down took a deep breath and said I set my drink down took a deep breath and said no silence the entire table froze like they couldn't believe I had actually said it my dad leaned forward his face dark what did you just say I held his stare my hands shaking under the

table but my voice steady I said no I'm not giving her my raise I earned it and it's mine Nicole's eyes widened and then just like that her face crumpled cue the Waterworks but but I need it she whispered her voice shaking I'm barely making rent the kids my dad cut in turning on me with pure Fury you heartless little Mark raised a hand uh uh watch it but my dad wasn't listening anymore he was fuming we raised you better than this he spat you don't just turn your back on family we gave you everything

and this is how you repay Us by letting your own sister suffer mom of course jumped in next do you think you got here by yourself do you think we didn't make sacrifices for you we worked hard so you could go to college and now you have a good job and suddenly you're too good for us too good for your own blood and then the rayol bomb dropped Mom crossed her arms and said said if you don't want to help fine but don't expect us to support you anymore my stomach turned support me I stared

at her trying to wrap my head around what she had just said and then it hit me she actually thought I needed them and that's when I laughed I couldn't help it it just burst out of me sharp bitter years of frustration rolling off my shoulders in one loud painful laugh support me I repeated shaking my head you think I still need you you haven't supported me in years the second I turned 18 you told me I was on my own I paid for college I paid my own rent I built my career without a

single ounce of help from either of you Dad's face went pale that's not true isn't it I snapped when I was in college who did you help me or Nicole they didn't answer they didn't have to because I already knew knew Nicole who had dropped out who had gone through three different apartments who had blown through every bit of money they gave her because she knew they'd always bail her out and me the one who had worked two jobs while taking full-time classes who had eaten Ramen five nights a week just to afford textbooks who

had scraped by while they threw money at her every time she made another mistake you didn't support me I said my voice shaking you abandoned me and now that I finally have something for myself you expect me to just hand it over dad D's jaw clenched she has children and there it was the excuse the lifelong excuse Nicole had kids that meant she got a free pass that meant everyone else had to sacrifice so she could keep living her life however she wanted I turned to her my hands gripping the edge of the table you

had a job before right what happened to it she sniffled wiping her eyes I it just didn't work out it didn't work out I repeated like the one before that and the one before that more silence I let out a breath then leaned back in my chair I don't care you are not my responsibility Nicole's lip trembled and then she snapped you are such a selfish [ __ ] she screeched slamming her hand on the table after everything I've been through you still won't help my kids are going hungry and you're sitting here bragging about

your stupid job you don't even have a family what do you need the money for you're just going to waste it and that that was it I stood up loudly the entire restaurant turned to look but I didn't care you know what Nicole I said grabbing my purse figure it out and then I walked out I didn't look back not when my mom started yelling after me not when my dad slammed his fist on the table not when Nicole wailed about how unfair like life was and you know the funniest part as I walked out

Mark the best boss I've ever had stood up tossed a $100 bill on the table and followed me I stepped into the cold night air my heart racing my hands still shaking but feeling lighter than I had in years Mark caught up to me smirking hell of a speech I let out a shaky laugh you think they'll ever talk to me again Mark Shrugged do you even care I thought about it and for the first time in my life I didn't I should have known it wouldn't end there people like my parents and Nicole they

don't just let things go for a few Blissful days I ignored the texts the calls the voicemails full of guilt trips and rage I blocked my parents I blocked Nicole I thought that was the end of it I was wrong one afternoon I was in my office finally enjoying the piece of knowing my Rays was mine when my phone rang it was my Bank hi we're just calling to verify a transfer request I frowned transfer request yes a scheduled transfer from your account to a personal account under Nicole last name the amount is well quite

a bit I felt my blood go cold I didn't make any transfer I said my voice tight the woman on the line hesitated well it was authorized through your online banking the login was from a familiar device and that's when I knew Nicole that smirking crocodile tear crying manipulative leech had somehow gotten into my account I felt like I was going to be sick cancel it I said immediately cancel everything the woman sighed in relief already done I had a feeling something was off but we have to confirm with the account holder I hung up

and just sat there staring at my phone and then another call came in blocked number I already knew I answered putting it on speaker what the hell did you do Nicole's Voice shrieked through the phone I exhaled slowly you really thought I wouldn't find out I needed that money I laughed actually laughed you mean my money the one you tried to steal I didn't steal it she snapped I just borrowed it I was going to pay you back really I said with what job silence and then she had the nerve to start crying again you

don't understand I have bills the kids I hung up and then I called the police part four the final blow I thought that would be the final nail in the coffin I pressed charges it wasn't a huge amount of money she had only managed to schedule the transfer not fully send it but it was enough for the cops to take it seriously I was ready for the Fallout I braced myself for the storm of calls the fake apologies that it was just a mistake speeches but I wasn't prepared for what happened next because Nicole wasn't

working alone 2 days later I got an email from my bank a second attempt had been made this time it wasn't just a transfer request it was a direct withdrawal attempt made in person by my mother I stared at the email my entire body frozen my own mother had walked into my bank armed with whatever personal information she still had about me and tried to empty my account she told them I had authorized it that I was sick and needed her to take care of it for me but the bank had flagged it because of

Nicole's first attempt they had put extra security on my account my mom had no idea and she got caught red-handed I called the bank immediately and as I was on the phone a text from my dad popped up Dad you went too far you should have just given Nicole the money now look what you did you forced our hand you forced our hand that was it that was the moment I knew they were never my family I forwarded everything to the cops part five the consequences the police took it seriously two attempted fraudulent transactions one

digital one in person Nicole and my mom were both charged fraud attempted theft identity theft when they were arrested my dad went ballistic he showed up at my apartment pounding on the door screaming about how I was tearing the family apart that I was sending my own mother to jail I stood behind the locked door heart hammering listening to the man who had never protected me not once now losing his mind because I had finally protected myself then I said the last thing I would ever say to him you did this to yourself and then

I called the cops even after everything my dad wouldn't let up Nicole got probation my mom went to jail but my dad he blamed me not them me he called me every name in the book he told every relative who would listen that I was cold selfish and evil for letting my own family suffer at first I ignored it blocked him blocked everyone who took his side but then I found out something interesting see my parents had always been obsessed with Keeping Up Appearance to everyone else they were the perfect couple the loving parents the

selfless givers always willing to sacrifice for their kids but that was a lie and I I had proof the secret they never wanted out a month after my mom got out of jail I got a message from someone I hadn't spoken to in years an old family friend family friend hey I heard about what happened just wanted to say I always knew they treated you like crap I'm glad you finally stood up for yourself I was surprised but before I could respond they sent another message family friend by the way do you know about the

loan I blinked the what turns out my parents were drowning in debt see all those years they spent funding Nicole giving her money bailing her out of trouble helping her live her best life while I struggled they weren't just using their own money they had taken out a massive Loan in my name I felt like I had been punched in the gut I dug into it hard I went through my credit reports my bank history every bit of paperwork I had and there it was a $50,000 loan taken out under my social security number with

my name attached forged they stole from me again and this time they had left a paper trail I gathered everything every fraudulent signature every false document every single piece of evidence that proved what they had done then I called a lawyer the lawsuit that destroyed them my parents thought they were Untouchable they thought I wouldn't dare go after them they were wrong with my lawyers help I filed fraud charges against both of them I took them to court and when they saw me walk into that courtroom armed with documents lawyers and a burning hatred that

they had created they knew they knew they had finally screwed with the wrong person the case open and shut the evidence was clear they had taken out a loan in my name forged my signature and used my credit to fund Nicole's entire Lifestyle the verdict they lost my mom back to jail my dad bankrupt Nicole screwed because guess what that money they had taken out for her she was on the hook for it too I made sure of that she had spent years living off my parents stolen money she had expected me to just hand

over my Rays she had called me a selfish [ __ ] for wanting my own success so I made sure she paid every cent she lost her car she lost her apartment she had to move in with her deadbeat boyfriend's family just to survive and me I took everything back the final goodbye the last time I saw my dad he was standing outside the courtroom staring at me like I was the devil you destroyed this family he hissed I smiled no I just finally stood up to the people who tried to destroy me and then

I walked away I moved out of state got a new job a better job bought a house one just for me I never spoke to them again and for the first time in my life I was finally free