The Masked Bonds Stories

MY FAMILY SWORE I WAS A NAVY DROPOUT. I STOOD SILENT AT MY BROTHER'S SEAL CEREMONY...

AT THE FAMILY DINNER, MY SISTER SAID, "MOM AND DAD PROMISED I COULD LIVE WITH YOU" I SIPPED MY WATER

MY PARENTS PULLED THE PLUG ON MY PREEMIE. "JUST FIVE MINUTES, RACHEL. CALM DOWN." MY SON TURNED BLUE

FOR YEARS I PAID FOR EVERYTHING FOR MY FAMILY AT CHRISTMAS. THEN I SAW THE GROUP CHAT: "HOLIDAY

MY JEALOUS SISTER SLAPPED ME, ACROSS THE FACE IN THE JEWELRY STORE, CALLED ME "SHADOW". BECAUSE

MY PARENTS CALLED ME IN A RUSH: "YOU NEED TO COME HOME RIGHT NOW, IT IS URGENT" - I DROPPED

MY PARENTS SKIPPED MY MIT GRADUATION TO WATCH MY SISTER'S BALLET RECITAL, ONLY TO REALIZE LATER IT

MY MOM ANNOUNCED: "SWEETHEART MEET THE NEW OWNER OF YOUR APARTMENT." AS SHE BARGED INTO THE

MY OWN SISTER SUDDENLY HIT ME ON THE HEAD WITH A LADLE WHEN I WAS COOKING LUNCH. "WHO CUTS LIKE THAT

AT MY WEDDING, MY MOM SMILED AND SAID, "WE'RE PASSING THE CAR HIS PARENTS GAVE YOU OVER TO YOUR

WHEN I COLLAPSED AT WORK, THE DOCTORS CALLED MY PARENTS. THEY NEVER CAME. INSTEAD, MY SISTER TAGGED

I PAID MY PARENTS $700 A WEEK, BUT THEY SKIPPED MY CHILD'S BIRTHDAY. WHEN I ASKED WHY, MY DAD SAID

MOM TEXTED "WE'RE SKIPPING YOUR KID'S BIRTHDAY, THINGS ARE TIGHT". I SAID "NO PROBLEM". A WEEK LATER

"I'M QUITTING MY JOB - YOU'LL TAKE CARE OF US WHILE I FIGURE THINGS OUT" MY SISTER TEXTED

"YOUR SISTER GOT THE INSURANCE ΜΟΝΕΥ" ΜΟM SAID "YOU DON'T NEED IT." I REPLIED, "MOM, WANT TO TELL

"WE'RE NOT FUNDING THIS CIRCUS" MY MOM DECLARED, CANCELING MY WEDDING. MY SISTER ADDED: "BETTER LUCK

"WE DIDN'T ORDER FOR YOUR SON" MY SISTER SAID, HANDING HIM A BREAD BASKET WHILE HER KIDS ATE

MY PARENTS PUBLICLY GIFTED MY HOUSE TO MY BROTHER AT HIS ENGAGEMENT PARTY, THE SAME HOUSE FOR

AT MY SISTER'S CELEBRATIONPARTY, MY OWN BROTHER-IN-LAW POINTED AT ME AND SPAT: "TRASH. GO SERVE!

MY SISTER LIFTED HER COCKTAIL AND SMIRKED. "THANKS FOR THE HAWAII TRIP, TARAN." EVERYONE LAUGHED

AT MY BIRTHDAY PARTY, MY MOM SAID LOUDLY: "WE ALL AGREE YOU SHOULD SELL YOUR HOUSE AND GIVE THE

DAD SAID: "YOU'RE THE BIGGEST DISGRACE TO THIS FAMILY." EVERYONE TURNED TO ΜΕ. Ι STOOD UP: "PERFECT

MY FAMILY MOCKED ME FOR FAILING I SAT QUIETLY AT MY FAMILY DINNER... THEN CNN AIRED A NEWS REPORT

"SHE'S BEEN LIVING IN HER CAR" MY FAMILY WHISPERED TO THE GUESTS. THEN A BLACK SUV ARRIVED WITH

MY DAD KICKED ME OUT OF THE HOUSE UNTIL I APOLOGIZED TO MY SISTER. I JUST SAID "ALRIGHT."

MY PARENTS GIFTED ΜΕ Α DISOWNMENT LETTER FOR MY GRADUATION. "FROM ALL OF US," MY MOM ANNOUNCED AT

MY SISTER CRASHED MY NEW CAR, THEN SMIRKED: "MOM AND DAD WILL MAKE YOU FORGIVE ME!". THEY THOUGHT

"WE USED YOUR COLLEGE FUND FOR YOUR SISTER'S IVF." MY MOM SAID. MY SISTER SMILED, "YOU'LL

MOM SHOUTED: "YOU'RE UNGRATEFUL! GET OUT & NEVER COME BACK!" SO I LEFT WITHOUT A WORD. WEEKS LATER

AT THANKSGIVING: MY MOM SAID "SISTER'S WEDDING WAS GREAT! WHEN'S YOURS?" I REPLIED: "HAD MINE. YOU