Severing Ties with My Toxic Bloodline

My hand froze as I slipped my hard-earned savings into Mom's purse. Her unlocked phone glowed in the dark leather, displaying a text message that shattered my entire world:

[I'm so sick of that little monster. She reeks of poverty. Standing next to Presley and Trenton, she looks like a pathetic piece of trash.]

[Wants to move into the wealthy neighborhood with us? Your dad and I can only afford private school tuition for Presley and Trenton. Bringing her along would just drag down our standard of living.]

[I wish I never had her. I just wanted a perfect family of four. Having to pretend I love her every time we visit the countryside makes me want to throw up.]

I stared at those words. I wiped my face, gripped the crumpled bills, and yanked every last cent back out of her purse.

Chapter 1

As a kid dumped in the countryside, the only thing I looked forward to was Thanksgiving. That was the only time Mom and Dad came back. Whenever they returned, they brought snacks, bought me new clothes, and pulled me in to talk, praising me for growing taller and getting good grades.

Mom would rub lotion on my cheeks to keep them from chapping in the cold. Dad would shove a few bucks into my hand for junk food.

I'd pull out the certificates I'd saved up all year. I'd stumble over my words, eager to show off everything I learned at school.

I used to think it would be perfect if they just said, "We missed you."

But they never did.

Still, I was happy. So happy that I forgot Trenton and Presley despised me.

Trenton stomped his foot down, crushing the old doll I'd scavenged from the thrift store. "Hillbilly, you still playing with this trash? You know we collect the most expensive limited-edition blind boxes, right? You make me sick."

I grabbed the broken plastic pieces. "I liked this doll! Why did you break it? Pay me back!"

Trenton smirked. "This whole family belongs to me. Mom and Dad's money is my money. You bought that trash with my money, so I'm not paying you back."

He pointed a finger at me. "Ask me for money again, and I'll tell Mom."

My nails dug into my palms. Grandma always said all the family's resources and trust funds had to be left to Trenton.

He was the future heir of the family. I couldn't mess with him. If Trenton got mad, the whole family would turn on me.

I turned around to leave, but my foot caught on something. I stumbled right onto Presley's new shoes.

She shoved me hard. I hit the dirt. "Are you blind? You dare step on my shoes?"

Presley pointed at her feet. "Do you know how much these cost? These are the newest Jordans. Over a grand!"

"You hillbilly, you did that on purpose because Mom and Dad wouldn't buy you a pair, didn't you?"

I scrambled to my knees, using my sleeve to furiously wipe the dirt off her sneakers. "I'm sorry, Presley. I didn't mean to"

Even though they hated me, I desperately wanted to fit in. I always envied kids who were close to their siblings.

The commotion drew the adults. Mom walked into the yard. Seeing me on the ground, she sighed.

"Presley, Trenton, stop picking on your sister. You only see her once a year. Why are you always fighting?"

Trenton whipped a stick against the fence. "Mom, that's not what you say at home! How can you be a traitor? You said you hated Eden, so I was getting revenge for you."

Mom froze. Her face tightened. "What nonsense are you talking about? I gave birth to all of you."

"How could I not love her?" She grabbed my arm, hauled me to my feet, and shoved a piece of candy into my hand.

"Stop crying. I scolded them for you."

I stared at Mom.

The spot on my leg where Presley had pushed me went numb.

Something cold and sharp took root in my chest. For the next few nights, I stared at the dark ceiling.

Did Mom and Dad actually love me?

It was almost laughable. In a kid's world, their parents were their entire universe.

When you realize they don't give a damn about you the ground disappears beneath your feet.

Chapter 2

The Thanksgiving holiday wasn't even over, but Mom and Dad were already packing to leave. They lived out of state, a full day's drive away, so they had to hit the road early. The night before they left, I looked at them, my heart hammering against my ribs as I finally asked the question.

"Mom? Dad? Can I come with you this time?" I asked. "I want to live with you."

Before, their excuse for dumping me in the country was the astronomical tuition at that elite private school. They were only willing to foot the bill for two kids. Presley was a year older than Trenton, so the two of them maxed out the budget.

I couldn't go to school in the wealthy suburbs, so I was stuck out here. But now Trenton was heading into middle school.

I figured the expenses might have changed. I could finally live with them.

Dad and Mom exchanged a look I couldn't decode.

After a long beat, Mom crossed her arms. "I'm worried you'd fall behind if you transferred. The curriculum out here is nothing like the city's."

I scrambled to grab my stack of certificates. "But Mom, I get straight A's every year! My teachers say I'm the smartest in the class. My grades are perfect."

Mom shook her head. "It's still a no. You don't even know basic party etiquette. If we took you to any of the social gatherings in our gated community, you'd just humiliate us."

Trenton, lounging against Mom's arm, let out a loud snort. "Oh my god, this is hilarious. How many hicks are even in your school?"

"Being first place out here means literally nothing. You're pathetic."

Presley chimed in, a nasty smirk on her face. "Have you ever heard of genetics? No one in this family is academic."

"Trenton and my grades are absolute garbage. You really think you're some kind of mutant genius?"

Laughter erupted in the living room. The sound hit me like a physical blow.

I spun on my heel and bolted out the door.

My vision blurred. I was young, but I wasn't stupid. I could taste the sharp, poisonous malice in their laughter.

I just wanted to live with my parents. I didn't do anything wrong.

Out of the whole family, Grandma was the only one who chased after me. She used her worn sleeve to wipe my wet cheeks. "Don't cry, Eden. Once you're a little older, your parents will come take you to live with them."

I stared at her, my chest heaving. "Really?"

"Really. Trust Grandma. The only reason they aren't taking you now is because you're still too little."

"The long drive would make you sick. Wait until next year, okay? You'll be ten next year."

"A big girl. They'll definitely take you with them then."

Grandma's words acted like a balm. The tight knot in my throat finally loosened.

Mom and Dad were just worried about me getting carsick. That was why they left me behind. They didn't hate me.

Seeing my breathing steady, Grandma patted my head. "Good girl, Eden. Here, Grandma's giving you another hundred bucks for pocket money. Tomorrow, I'll make your favorite barbecue."

I took the crisp bill and hugged her tight. "Thanks, Grandma. You're the best."

I sprinted back to my room and shoved the money into my prized metal tin. I had been hoarding cash since I was six years old. Pocket money, chore money, cash I made helping Grandma collect scrap metal or clear weeds I saved every single dime.

Since Mom and Dad always complained about how tight money was, I planned to build a stash. When they needed it, I would give it all to them.

I popped the lid off the tin.

I ran my fingers over the crammed, crumpled bills, my heart racing.

Three years of saving actually amounted to a lot. I decided right then. I was going to give it all to Mom and Dad right now. Then I would just fill up another box for them to spend later.

Chapter 3

I counted the crumpled bills and heavy coins for a long, long time. It came out to exactly 0-0,134.58. While Mom and Dad were still in the living room watching TV, I slipped into their bedroom. I planned to slide the cash directly into Mom's purse.

Then I saw it. Her phone, resting inside her half-open purse, its screen unlocked and blindingly bright. It was an active text thread complaining to someone else. The messages were about me.

[I'm so sick of that little monster. She reeks of poverty. Standing next to Presley and Trenton, she looks like a pathetic piece of trash.]

[Wants to move into the wealthy neighborhood with us? Your dad and I can only afford private school tuition for Presley and Trenton. Bringing her along would just drag down our standard of living.]

[I wish I never had her. I just wanted a perfect family of four. Having to pretend I love her every time we visit the countryside makes me want to throw up.]

They never wanted me. No wonder they dumped me in the countryside with Grandma when I was only six months old.

It made perfect sense now. The way Mom and Dad looked at Presley and Trentonit was entirely different from how they looked at me. Every year, those two got huge, tiered birthday cakes.

On my birthday, my parents didn't even bother to call. Last Thanksgiving, they brought back a framed family portrait to hang in the living room. It was just the four of them.

I wasn't in it. They claimed it was because I lived too far away to make the photoshoot.

I used to buy that excuse. Not anymore.

They didn't give a damn about me.

I wiped the wetness from my face, gripped the wad of cash, and shoved every single dollar bill back into my pockets. Sprinting out of the room, I crashed into Grandma, who was boiling water on the stove.

I threw my arms around her waist, burying my face in her apron. "Grandma, I don't love Mom and Dad anymore. You're the only one I love."

Grandma patted my back, her rough hand warm against my spine. "Why are you crying again? Are you that sad to see your parents leave?"

I shook my head, digging my fingernails into my palms to force the tears back down. "No. I just don't want to leave you."

I took a shaky breath. "Even if they begged me to go with them, I wouldn't. I only want to stay with you."

A few warm drops splashed onto the back of my hand. I couldn't tell if they were mine, or Grandma's.

I squeezed her tighter. "Grandma, are you crying?"

"No, sweetie," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Grandma's smiling."

When it was time for Mom and Dad to leave, they braced themselves. They clearly expected me to sob, to throw a tantrum, to beg them not to go.

But I just stood there on the porch. Silent. Motionless.

They froze, shifting awkwardly on their feet.

Joanne exhaled, her stiff shoulders dropping. She gave me an approving nod. "Eden has really grown up. Look at her, not even shedding a tear this time."

Dad chimed in, tossing his bags into the trunk. "Saves us a lot of a headache. Eden, you have to understand, leaving you with Grandma is for your own good. Presley and Trenton's rooms combined aren't even as big as your bedroom here."

Joanne adjusted her designer coat. "The countryside is great! We never let you go hungry or cold. You can do whatever you want out here."

"Isn't this a comfortable life?" She pulled a few crisp bills from her purse and held them out.

"Don't worry. Once Dad and I make a bit more money, we'll definitely come pick you up."

I snatched the cash, forced the corners of my mouth up into a stiff smile, and stared dead into her eyes. "Thanks. But don't bother."

"I want to live with Grandma. I only love my Grandma."

Joanne blinked. Her red-painted lips parted, twitching for a long moment before she finally scoffed. "Gosh, you kids say the craziest things. It's fine to love Grandma, but you have to love your parents too."

Dad grabbed her elbow, pulling her toward the SUV. "Kids are like that. They bond with whoever raises them. It's totally normal."

He looked back at me. "Eden, since you love Grandma so much, just stay here with her for good. Think of it as keeping her company."

The second they climbed into the car, I didn't even bother waving goodbye.

I spun around, marched straight back into the house, and turned on my cartoons.

Chapter 4

After that day, I stopped racing to the phone whenever Mom and Dad called. I stopped asking about them. Even when Grandma handed me the receiver, I'd just mumble a flat "Hi Mom, hi Dad," before tossing it back and retreating to do my homework or watch TV.

I was the only kid from our dirt-road town attending the district school. Every single day, Grandma drove me back and forth in her beat-up, leaky secondhand pickup truck. Worried the drafts would freeze me, she lined the entire backseat with thick, heavy old blankets. I'd curl up in that makeshift nest, sleeping through the bumpy commute.

I heard the neighbors gossiping. They said parents these days were buying houses in the wealthy suburbs, or at least renting cramped apartments near the city lines, just to get their kids into better school districts. Grandma used to say Mom and Dad worked so far away just to afford top-tier educational resources for Presley and Trenton.

But they conveniently forgot about me. Because I was the spare. The excess baggage.

But my teacher always said everyone was born with a purpose. Everyone had value. I didn't feel like excess baggage.

I didn't care what the rest of the family said. They all claimed kids from our underfunded district were destined to fail. But my teacher said I was brilliant.

And I believed her.

Right after the semester started, I marched up to her desk. "Ms. Sylvia, what are the best colleges in the world?"

"The world is a massive place, Eden. I can't speak for the whole globe, but I can tell you about the best ones right here in the States."

"What are they? And how big is the world?"

"The Ivy League, of course," she said, her eyes gleaming. "Those top-tier institutions only hand out full-ride scholarships to absolute geniuses. Their alumni are insanely rich and powerful. As for how big the world is how about I give you a National College Guide?"

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "Then I'm going to an Ivy. I'm going to see the world."

Ms. Sylvia blinked, then reached out and ruffled my hair. "Alright then. Give it your all. I'm rooting for you."

I bombarded her with questions after that. Why did everyone move to the city? What exactly were genetics?

If my brother and sister had garbage grades, did that mean I was doomed to be stupid too? Why did adults lie to kids?

She explained everything. The bigger the city, the better the educational resources, and the higher the chances of getting into a prestigious university. Even though I was stuck in a rural public school, I could bridge the gap with online courses.

That weekend, I dragged Grandma to the electronics store in the county center. I dumped all my saved cashover a thousand dollars in crumpled bills and heavy coinson the counter and bought a smartphone. Seeing the raw desperation in my eyes, Grandma pitched in her own money to get Wi-Fi installed in our dusty house.

Our underfunded public school didn't offer a single after-school program. The final bell rang at three o'clock sharp. From that moment on, I studied like my life depended on it.

I poured every last cent of my spare change into buying secondhand AP textbooks and massive SAT prep books. Whenever I hit a brick wall with a problem, I snapped a picture and posted it on online forums to demand answers.

Ms. Sylvia saw the fire in my eyes. She pulled every string she had, tapping into her network to hunt down elite mock exams from out of state for me to drill. She even found someone to carpool me to regional math competitions.

Finally, in the sixth grade, it paid off.

I crushed the regional competitions so ruthlessly that a recruiter for the state math team personally tracked me down. Because of that, I secured a transfer to an elite magnet school in the city.

Chapter 5

When Mom and Dad found out about my recruitment to the city magnet school, they were beyond shocked. For the first time in my life, they tracked me down.

"Eden, honey, why didn't you tell us something this big?" Joanne asked, her voice dripping with a fake sweetness that made my skin crawl. "You're moving to the city for school?"

"Why not just transfer to California? We're already there. We can finally take care of you."

They showered me with cash, praised me until they were blue in the face, and begged me to come home with them.

When Ms. Sylvia heard about it, she gave me a five-day break. "Go home, Eden," she said. "Talk it over with your parents. Then make your decision."

Just like that, the wish I'd carried since I was a toddler suddenly came true.

The moment I stepped into their sleek SUV, my throat tightened. Why do kids always crave the love of the people who broke them? Even after telling myself a hundred times that they didn't care, the second they reached out and said they wanted me back, I wanted to believe them.

I wanted to know if a father's love really was as steady as a mountain. I wanted to know if a mother's embrace felt like the warmth of the sun. I wanted to know if my brother and sister would finally treat me like blood.

I was too young back then.

I didn't understand that the higher you climb on the ladder of hope, the harder the ground hits when you fall.

They made sure I felt every inch of that drop.

We crossed half the country to get to California. The "room" they prepared for me was a lumpy, stained couch in the basement, covered with a thin, scratchy blanket. Because I was a girl, the plan was for me to share a room with Presley.

But Presley wouldn't have it. She was in high school now, and Mom and Dad didn't want my "rural influence" distracting her from her elite private school studies.

So, I was relegated to the basement.

"Your sister will be off to an Ivy in two years," Joanne said, avoiding my eyes as she smoothed the dust on the couch. "You can have her room then. This is just how things are for now."

"We're family, Eden. It's just a room. You'll adjust."

Presley stood in the doorway, her arms crossed tight over her chest. "Like hell she is. This is my house. I've lived here my whole life."

She glared at me, her eyes full of venom. "I wouldn't give up my room to Eden if I were dead. Mom, Dad, if you want to suck up to her because of her math scores, fine."

"But don't sacrifice me. Why should I lose out? Make Trenton give up his room!"

Trenton stormed into the hallway, his face turning a blotchy red. "No way! This is my house. I'm the sole heir to this estate."

"If you even try to touch my room, I'll jump off the roof."

The house exploded into chaos.

Joanne opened her mouth to scream, but Dad slammed his fist against the wall.

"Enough!" he roared. He turned on Joanne, his face contorted with frustration. "I told you we shouldn't have brought her here. Once she made it big, she would have come crawling back to us anyway."

"I'm her father. I gave her life. Where else is she going to go?" He shoved a hand through his hair, pacing the narrow hallway.

"But no, you wouldn't listen. You insisted we had to 'build a bond' now so she wouldn't cut us off later. Now look at this."

"You haven't built a bond with the brat, and you're destroying the relationship we have with our actual children." He pointed a finger at Joanne's chest. "Why are you always so damn stupid?"

The air left my lungs.

I felt like a punchline. They didn't want me. They were just terrified that if I became successful, I'd leave them with nothing.

I wasn't their daughter; I was an insurance policy they'd forgotten to pay into. I never stood a chance of being equal to Presley or Trenton.

The "home" I had dreamed of was nothing but a fever dream.

I wanted to run, but it was late, and I had nowhere to go in this sprawling, unfamiliar city. I curled into a ball on the basement couch and waited for the morning.

Chapter 6

The next day, the moment Dad got back, he ducked into the master bedroom with Joanne and shut the door tight. Trenton spent the entire time plastered against the wood, eavesdropping. A few minutes later, he strutted over to the basement stairs, a sickening smirk on his face.

"Hey, Eden. Let's make a bet," he sneered, leaning over the railing. "Do you think Mom and Dad are going to ship you right back to the sticks?"

I wanted to say yes. But I gritted my teeth and forced out a cold, "No."

He let out a harsh, grating laugh. "I just heard everything. Dad said your advanced competition training fees are way too expensive. They aren't going to pay for them."

Trenton crossed his arms. "They're gonna dump you in the underfunded public middle school down the street. Their logic? Since you're so smart, you can get into a good college from anywhere."

He leaned closer, enjoying every second of this. "Eden, you're never making it to the Ivy League now. Let's see you act like a genius after this."

I gripped the scratchy basement blanket until my knuckles turned white. "Impossible."

Trenton looked at me like I was the dumbest creature on earth. "How is it impossible? Are you really that clueless? Mom and Dad have been planning my future for years."

"They're saving every dime to buy me the newest sports car and pay my dues for a top-tier fraternity. There's zero chance they're wasting family money on an outsider like you."

Sure enough, during lunch, Joanne laid her cards out on the dining table.

"Eden, honey," she started, pouring herself a glass of sparkling water. "I know you have perfect grades. You're a smart girl. You can excel anywhere."

She set the glass down. "So, I want you to enroll in the public school just a few blocks away. I know it doesn't have the best reputation, but you're so good at teaching yourself!"

"You can just come home after class and study on your own, right?" Joanne waved a manicured hand dismissively. "There's no need for us to throw money away on those expensive academic competitions."

"With those savings, I can buy you kids more designer clothes and make sure we have premium steak for dinner."

A laugh scraped its way up my throat. My eyes burned, but I forced my gaze to stay locked on my plate. Favoritism was favoritism. She just dressed it up in a designer coat.

From the day I was born, how many pennies had she ever spent on me? And how many thousands had she dumped into Presley and Trenton? I hadn't even spent a single dollar of theirs yet, and they were already cutting me off.

I didn't dare imagine what my future would look like if I stayed under their roof.

I looked up, meeting Joanne's gaze with dead, cold eyes. "It's fine. Don't worry about my opinion. You've never factored me in anyway."

The sarcasm flew right over her head. She actually thought I was agreeing to the arrangement.

She bumped her shoulder against Dad's arm. "See? Look how reasonable our daughter is. We'll definitely buy her more steak from now on."

I chewed my food. It tasted like ash. I swallowed every bite mechanically until the plate was clean.

The second they left the house for their afternoon errands, I zipped up my single duffel bag and walked out the front door.

I was going back to my academic coach.

I would pave my own damn road. I was done listening to them. They never saw me as their flesh and blood. I used to think if I just proved my worth, if I showed them my talent, they would finally love me.

Instead, I just became a bargaining chip. Chasing after their affection was exhausting. I was officially done.

Good thing traveling out of state for math tournaments meant I already had my own state ID. I texted my coach, and she immediately booked me a ticket on the next Amtrak train out of the city. I boarded the train and watched the California scenery blur past the window.

It wasn't until late that night that my phone finally lit up with a call from Mom and Dad. By then, I was already lying down in the quiet safety of my dorm bed back in my home state.

Joanne's voice shrieked through the speaker, heavy with disgust. "What is wrong with you? Playing both sides like that! Pretending to agree to our faces and then sneaking out the backdoor."

She huffed, the sound sharp in my ear. "Where did you even learn such trashy behavior? You're a manipulative little snake, playing your own parents like fools!"

Chapter 7

Maybe the thousands of miles between us gave me the nerve.

For the first time in my life, I fought back.

"You dumped me with Grandma when I was six months old," I said, my grip on the phone tightening until my knuckles ached. "You saw me once a year. You didn't even remember my birthday. I'm thirteen now."

"I've seen your faces maybe a dozen times in my entire life." I let out a sharp, breathless laugh. "You never did a single thing a parent is supposed to do, so why the hell do you expect me to kiss the ground you walk on?"

"Are you joking?"

The line was dead silent, but I didn't stop.

"You can't just demand loyalty when you never gave a damn in the first place. You're too greedy."

Joanne choked. She couldn't get a single word out.

Then, Dad snatched the phone. His voice exploded through the speaker. "Is that how you talk to your mother?" he roared.

"We didn't raise you because we couldn't afford it! The financial pressure was too much!" He let out a harsh, ragged breath.

"Giving you life was enough! You have a healthy body and you're breathing. You should be on your knees thanking us." His voice dropped into a dark, menacing sneer.

"You think you're grown now? You think you can rebel? Let me tell you something."

"As long as you're under eighteen, I am your legal guardian. I can have you locked up in a juvenile detention center whenever I want!"

I ended the call. I went into my settings and permanently blocked both of their numbers