What's The Point Of Family If They Exploit You

Blood is thicker than water, but what if that blood demands constant sacrifice?

Family is supposed to be your foundation for growth. The people who are always there for you, who lift you up, and support you. They are the ones who celebrate your wins, lend a shoulder when you are down, and pick you up when you can’t bring yourself to do it on your own. 

But when the very people meant to be your anchor push you down until you’re barely afloat, are they still your family?

Family always comes first. It is an unspoken emotion that is etched into our minds. But when it becomes a rule that you need to follow, that is when you realize that you have stopped becoming a person for them. You are no longer an individual or a family member to them. 

You’re just someone they can constantly exploit.  It’s not about what they’re doing for you, or about working together as a synchronized unit. No, you’re just someone, a catalyst that can make them grow. 

The exploitation and manipulation are so subtle that at first, you don’t even see it coming. It is masked under layers of feigned sympathy. They take advantage of your grief, your vulnerability, your trauma, to push you to do things that fit their agenda. 

They should have everything. You don’t need things anyway. 

Their manipulation is so cruel and effortless that soon you are making sacrifices for them. Small at first. Just a few hours of your day to help them in their business. You don’t ask for pay, because that’s what family is, right? Helping them when they need it. 

You help them grow, you take care of the kids, you keep their house clean, you give up whatever isn’t important to you. At this point, you are being told these things are not important to you. It is not you. You are being subjugated, but don’t have the clarity to see it yet. 

By the time you do, it’s too late. 

They’ve grown their business, and they make enough money to buy the house. But there isn’t a room for you in it. They flaunt their wealth, they put you down for not having enough when you literally put your career on hold to help them, your family, the ones you thought you were supposed to love unconditionally. But they were supposed to love you back, too. 

They would leave you on the street, but then who would keep their house clean? They make you dependent on them, so you are conditioned to think that yes, you should be keeping the house clean. It doesn’t matter if you are sick or tired. You must help them. They are your family, after all. It’s the least you can do for them. 

You never see it coming at all. But soon they are controlling your finances, your inheritance, when you can go out, and who you can talk to. 

After all, they don’t want everyone to know that they have been exploiting you. The fewer people you talk to, the better. 

They isolate you, gaslight you, all so you could continue to be a pawn in their twisted, cruel game that has made you lose your autonomy. 

It takes one brief moment to wake you up to see their truth, but by that time, you have lost your health, given up what little money you have to them, all so they could have a comfortable life. 

That awakening moment comes a little too late and comes with devastating consequences. You realize you have been betrayed by the very people who were supposed to be your support system. 

That kind of betrayal shatters you. It starts killing everything nice inside you, making you second-guess whether people are inherently manipulative or you’re just too naive to see the truth that was staring at you all this time. 

The worst is when there were people who warned you, but you neglected their advice. You chose to stand up for your family. How dare they say anything against your own family?

 

But now you regret ignoring advice that came from those who were wise and perceptive enough to know that you were headed into a deep hole of lies and betrayal. 

So, what is the point of having a family that never saw you as a person in the first place? What is the point of dedicating your life to people who saw you as someone expendable, someone who should live a life that is convenient for them?

You can’t choose your family. But maybe you can choose when to walk away from them.  

*Based on a true story