During a family gathering, my grandmother inquired, «Is the $1,500 I send you each month sufficient?» I responded..

At A Family Dinner, Grandma Asked Me: «Is The $1,500 I Send You Monthly Enough?» Everyone Looked…ʼ

My name is Amanda, I’m 19 years old, and I’ve always been in my brother’s shadow. Henry is 2 years older than me, and in my parents’ eyes, he could do no wrong. He was their golden child, the math genius who won Olympiads without breaking a sweat, while I had to study for hours just to maintain decent grades.

My parents never tried to hide their favoritism. When Henry turned 16, they bought him a brand new car. Two years later, when it was my turn, I got a bicycle from a clearance sale.

I remember forcing a smile and thanking them, while inside I was crushed. The only person who ever made me feel valued was my grandmother. She remembered every birthday, gave me pocket money, and promised to help when I started college.

That promise kept me going through high school. I got accepted to a college in another city with a partial scholarship and moved into the dorms. I thought grandma would send money as she promised, but nothing came.

When I asked my mom about it, she flipped out. How selfish can you be, she screamed at me over the phone. Grandma’s having money problems right now.

You should be ashamed of yourself for asking. Get a job instead of begging. So I did, I started working at a cafe near campus, which helped with food since they sometimes gave me free meals and let employees buy yesterday’s unsold items at a discount.

But it wasn’t enough to cover all my expenses, so I picked up a second job writing content for websites. Between two jobs and my classes, I barely had time to sleep. Even with both jobs, I was struggling.

There were times when the cafe closed for holidays or maintenance, and I’d go hungry. Once, they shut down for a week for sanitation, and I nearly passed out from hunger. My roommate Sarah saved me by sharing her food and money.

When my laptop broke down, I cried all day. I needed it for my writing job and schoolwork, but I had no money for repairs. Again, Sarah came through, borrowing $500 from her parents to help me…