I was taken aback by her audacity but tried to brush it off, not wanting to cause a scene. However, the final straw came when Zoey suggested that I should sell my apartment in the city and move back to the countryside to “support the family.” Her suggestion was not only ludicrous but also laced with a sense of entitlement that I found appalling

Living in the city for the better part of my adult life, I’ve grown accustomed to the hustle and bustle, the anonymity, and the endless opportunities. My name is Rebecca, and at 48, I’ve built a life I’m proud of, far from the rural simplicity of my childhood. However, familial ties have a way of pulling you back, no matter how far you’ve strayed.

It was a crisp Saturday morning when I decided to visit my family in the countryside. Despite my reservations, the thought of seeing my mother and catching up with my brother Mason filled me with a sense of nostalgia. Little did I know, this visit would unveil a side of my sister-in-law, Zoey, that I never knew existed.

Zoey had always struck me as somewhat materialistic, but I chalked it up to her being a product of her environment. The countryside, with its limited resources and opportunities, often bred a sense of desperation in its inhabitants. However, what I witnessed that day was sheer greed, the likes of which I had never seen before.

The visit started off pleasantly enough, with Mason and Zoey welcoming me into their home with open arms. But as the day progressed, Zoey’s true colors began to show. It started with subtle comments about the cost of living in the city versus the countryside, and how lucky I was to afford such a lifestyle. These comments quickly escalated into outright demands for financial assistance, under the guise of “family helping family.”

Feeling a mixture of anger and disbelief, I excused myself and left, vowing never to return. The serene countryside, once a place of refuge, had now become a source of distress, all thanks to Zoey’s greed.

The next morning, Mason showed up at my doorstep with a basket of apples, a peace offering of sorts. He apologized for Zoey’s behavior, but the damage was done. I accepted his apology but made it clear that my relationship with their family would never be the same.

As I watched Mason drive away, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss. Not just for the familial bonds that had been strained, but for the innocence of my childhood memories that had been tainted by greed. I knew then that I would never set foot in the countryside again, not even to see my mother.

In the end, the city, with all its flaws, felt more like home than the place I had grown up in. And as I closed the door on my brother, I also closed a chapter of my life that I knew I could never revisit.