My Dad Sacrificed My Future For My Cousin.....- Reddit Family 

My Dad Sacrificed My Future For My Cousin.....- Reddit Family
--------
My Dad Chose My Cousin Over Me, Funded His Future, And Ruined Mine, But Karma Left Him Drowning In Regret As I Built My Own Life.
--------
My life was shaped by my mother's death giving birth to me and my father's coldness, who blamed me for her death. My father's emotional coolness made me feel like an outsider in my own home, especially since he focused on my cousin Jake, whose father had died when we were kids. While I was shy and academic, Jake was athletic, charming, and gregarious, just like my father hoped. As we became older, my father's favoritism became more apparent, culminating in his funding Jake's college tuition while giving me nothing.
My father ignored my academic achievements and focused on Jake's social success. I snapped when I heard my father on the phone promising Jake all his college fees while leaving me to fend for myself. I tried to balance a part-time job and school without my father's support, but the burden was too much, and I had to drop out of college. Jake thrived on my father's money, living the life I could only dream of.
Feeling completely betrayed, I left home and cut off contact with both my father and Jake. The years that followed were a struggle; I worked odd jobs just to survive, while Jake continued to succeed, seemingly without a care in the world. Yet, despite the challenges, I slowly began to rebuild my life on my own terms. I found a job as a manager at a local bookstore, started taking night classes to pursue the degree I had always wanted, and surrounded myself with friends who became the family I never had.
After three years of seclusion, my father unexpectedly reached out just as I fell into place. He begged for my help, saying Jake had gotten him to spend considerably in a failing business endeavor. My father's favoritism had placed him in debt, so he turned to me, his overlooked son, for help. It was too late. I told him I wasn't ready to meet, that his apologies couldn't erase years of neglect, and that I wouldn't help him financially. I felt relieved for the first time after standing up for myself.
As I move forward, I’m focused on my own growth and the relationships I’ve built with people who value me for who I am. My father’s favoritism may have shaped my past, but it no longer defines my future. I’m forging my own path, confident in the strength I’ve gained through years of self-reliance.
----------
#redditfamily #reddit #familyrelationships #redditstories