I’m Raising My Sister’s Child, But My Parents Still Hate Me – Story of the Day

My sister was the golden child, and I had to raise her baby when she became pregnant. Yet my parents never wanted to give me love, and years later, they did the unspeakable.

By the age of five, I realized that my parents preferred my sister, Madeline, to me. Although I was younger, they paid little attention to me. My birthdays were small and simple, while they organized big events for my sister.

The worst part was, she knew it too. Madeline laughed when my mother scolded me for something she’d done. I was blamed for everything that went wrong in our house, no matter who was to blame. Very quickly, I learned to fend for myself.

I had a ton of chores at home, and my dad often yelled at me. But Madeline just sat at home and did nothing. It was really unfair. I had no idea why my family didn’t like me, but there was nothing I could do about it.

I was secretly working part-time and hoping my 18th birthday would come soon. But when I turned 16, Madeline announced she was pregnant. Our parents were thrilled because, in their eyes, she couldn’t hurt.

“That’s wonderful, darling,” my mother said.

“I’m just telling you so you’ll give me money for an abortion, Mom. I’m not keeping it. It’ll ruin my life,” my sister replied.

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“No, Madeline, you can’t do this to your baby. You’re carrying our grandchild. We’ll do anything to help you, but abortion is out of the question,” my father told her, almost angrily. It was the first time in my life I’d seen him seemingly unhappy with their favorite child.

“I don’t know, Tom. Maybe we should think about what Madeline needs right now,” my mother suggested. I knew she would quickly give in to Madeline’s wishes.

“I’m sorry, Priscilla. I support women’s choices, but this is our grandchild. Madeline, you’re going to love your baby, and we’ll support you completely,” my father continued. “Your sister will always be there for you.”

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Of course, he volunteered without my consent. “I’ll think about it,” Madeline finally replied. I knew she’d give in because a baby would guarantee our parents would support her forever. And my big sister wanted an easy life.

She decided to keep the baby, and I had to take care of her during the pregnancy. But things only got worse when the baby arrived. Madeline got up once or twice during the first few days to feed her son, Brandon, but after that, everything was on me.

Madeline went back to her old ways, partying all the time while I had to stay home to raise her baby. Despite their promises, our parents refused to help me with the baby, and it was clear they didn’t like Brandon either.

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So I had to step up and ended up dropping out of school to take care of him. I was still working part-time and studying for my GED to pursue my plan to leave at 18. But one day, Madeline came home after a week’s absence with a new announcement.

“Mom, Dad. I’m going,” she said.

“What do you mean, ‘I’m leaving’?” I asked him.

“Chloe, shut up. I’m not talking to you,” she told me.

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“Honey, it’s okay if you need a few days off. When are you coming back?” my mother asked her.

“I’m not coming back. That’s what I’m telling you. I’m going away with my boyfriend, Zak, and I’ll probably never come back,” Madeline continued.

“What about Brandon? You can’t abandon your baby,” I yelled at him, trying to talk some sense into him. “I’m going off to college in a few months. Who’s going to raise the baby?”

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“It’s not my problem. Goodbye!” Madeline said as she walked away. My mother started to cry, and all my father could do was comfort her.

“What are we going to do about Brandon?” I asked my parents.

“Chloe, can’t you see your mother’s heartbroken? Please don’t disturb us. Go away,” my father replied.

That day, I stopped thinking of them as family. I was obviously alone, and it seemed like they didn’t care about Brandon at all. I wasn’t going to leave him with those people. I would become his mother.

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A few months later, I had saved enough money to move out. My parents barely noticed when I left and took Brandon with me.

I worked tirelessly to provide for Brandon and enrolled in online college because I needed a flexible schedule. It was difficult, but I made it work. I ended up making a group of great friends who helped me care for Brandon.

Some people judged me for raising a child at a young age, but someone had to do it. He was my biological nephew, but he was also my son in all that mattered. I wouldn’t abandon him like my irresponsible older sister and our parents.

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A few years later, I met my boyfriend, Dallas. He was in law school and planned to work at his father’s law firm. He adored Brandon, and we planned to get married once he graduated.

One day, Dallas was preparing dinner when my doorbell rang. It was Madeline. She looked rough and much older than her years. “What are you doing here?” I asked her.

“Where is my baby?” she asked immediately and tried to enter, but I blocked the doorway.

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“Your baby? He’s not yours, Madeline. You abandoned him years ago. He’s my son now, and you can’t see him right now,” I replied. Brandon was playing in his room, and I hoped he wouldn’t come out now.

“You can’t stop me from seeing MY CHILD, Chloe. You’re the most horrible person in the world!” Madeline yelled at me. That’s when Dallas approached and asked her to calm down.

“I won’t calm down! I’m going to get my child back no matter what,” she yelled again, but Dallas slammed the door in her face. Madeline continued yelling outside for a while, until my boyfriend threatened to call the police.

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“What am I going to do?” I asked him later that evening. “She’s his mother. They might take her away.”

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll talk to my dad tomorrow. He’ll tell us what we need to do legally so Brandon never has to go with that harpy,” he replied. Dallas’s dad arranged everything so that I would become Brandon’s legal mother.

Very quickly, Madeline returned with my parents. All three of them demanded to see Brandon and get him back, but there was nothing they could do legally. Eventually, I discovered that Madeline had only returned for Brandon because she wanted government benefits.

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But she couldn’t do that anymore now that I was her official mother, and she disappeared once again. Luckily, I wasn’t alone anymore, and Brandon would never have to feel the way I felt growing up.

What can we learn from this story?

1. Don’t choose favorites. Some parents choose a favorite child, and this dynamic can only harm their family relationship.
2. Some people just aren’t meant to be in your life. Don’t force love where there isn’t any. Find new people who will love you no matter what. They exist.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

Read also: When My Husband Cheated on Me and My Kids Turned Against Me, I Faced an Impossible Choice (Part 1)

This story is inspired by the daily lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to real names or places is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; it might just change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com .