'AITA for blocking my parents after I found out they stole money from me in college?'

My parents stole money from me while I was in college.

Potential_Let_3651 writes:

I got a job while I was in high school. It was with a friend of my father's. I put away most of it and just bought myself some stuff I wanted but my parents wouldn't buy for me. My parents aren't rich, but they do well enough. They wanted me to appreciate that material goods were paid for with my time.

I didn't mind. I bought myself a PS4 and some games, which they made me share with my younger brother and sister. Once again, I didn't mind. I mostly played while they did homework or slept.

When I graduated from high school, they said I had to start paying rent. That sucked because I was going to university in the fall and I was hoping to save up over the summer so I could work less during the school year.

So, I worked my butt off in school and at work. I ended up getting a job loading delivery trucks before school, and that sucked because I went to sleep at 7 pm most nights so I could get up early and go to work.

I am about to graduate, and I found a job in another province. I have already started doing my onboarding and online training. I will go from graduation to loading my car to leave. My parents had a graduation party for me where they tried to present me with a cheque for all the rent I paid plus a pittance in interest.

I looked at the cheque for about a minute, and I started laughing. All I could think of was the fact that I had no social life during university because I was working. I didn't have any money in investments like my friends did because they were taking my money. I asked them how they were doing this for my sister. They said they weren't since she wasn't working while she went to school.

I tore up the cheque and told them to shove it up their a%@es. I told them that when they compensated me for all the sleep I lost, four years of no social life during university, and four summer vacations, I would speak to them again.

I told my little brother not to get a job or they would mess him up too. I went to my room, grabbed my computer, some clothes, my PS4, and my toiletries. My brother and sister can play on the PS5 my parents bought for the family.

They were yelling at me the whole time. I said if they touched me or tried to stop me, I would call the cops. I loaded up my car, that I paid for, I insure, and is registered to me. I drove to my friend's parents' house and had a bit of a breakdown. They let me stay there since she is away at university in another city. I blocked my parents and my brother and sister.

I had already given notice at my job so I called my boss and told him I was sick and would not be available for my last week. He said he understood and laughed. He said he was surprised I had kept working this close to graduation.

My grandfather called me to talk a couple of days later. We went to Timmies, and he let me unload everything I felt. They took money from me that I could have used to make my life better. I didn't even have time for a girlfriend.

My entire university romantic life was hooking up with a woman I work with when her ex-husband had the kids for the weekend. He said my parents' hearts were in the right place and that they thought they were helping me. I said they owed me four years of fun.

Of parties I was too tired to go to. Of social events and networking I didn't do. All the stuff they were subsidizing for my sister. And that they would end up subsidizing for my brother.

He said he understood and hugged me. He is old, but I couldn't have gotten free of that hug if I tried. He asked me if I needed money to start my new job. I said I did not want anything that came from my parents.

He gave me a cashier's cheque for about three times what my parents took from me. He said to use it however I wanted in my new life. He said it wasn't part of my inheritance or anything. It was a gift from him and something my grandma would have wanted me to have.

My friends think I was stupid to tear up the cheque. Most of them agree with me about being upset at my parents. Some family members have called me to say I behaved terribly and that I owe my parents an apology.

I thanked them for the call or message and blocked them. I'm calmer now, and I do not think I am in the wrong. But maybe I'm too close to see what I'm missing. AITAH?

Here are the top comments:

Fish_On_again says:

Make sure you keep up the lines of communication with grandpa. He's going to be there for you when you need an objective ear. Im 40 years old and would do anything to have that back. This may all eventually blow over or not. Stay true to your self. It's gotten you this far, and that's pretty awesome.

Tricky_Personality54 says:

NTA. I love your grandpa. Hold him near.

Sebscreen says:

NTA. They saw that the lifestyle they forced on you was killing you for years and did nothing. And they waited to do it at a party they hosted so they could get full credit as great parents too. The fact that they never intend to pull this on your sister reeks of bias.

bookeroobanza1 says:

Just a note: invite your grandpa to visit you once you have a place. Take him to dinner, talk about life, Go see movies or music together. No one ever does that for older family members, and he sounds a little lonely for his wife. NTA.

NineBall-01 says:

NTA, the fact they are going to let your sister enjoy her life because she doesn't have a job? WTF kind of reasoning is that?

Here is what you do OP. You go and have the best god damn life you can have and make sure they are not apart of it. They do not deserve to be in your life after they witness you bust your a%@ and do nothing while treating your siblings differently.

What do you think? Was OP right to rip up the check?