My Mother Tried to Cancel My Future So I Could Raise Her Children

I didn't remember hanging up.

One moment, I was sitting at Mrs. Brooks's kitchen table with the phone pressed against my ear. The next, the call had ended, and I was staring at Patricia's messages as if the words might rearrange themselves into something less devastating.

Your father.

My father had known about the confidential request.

My father had seen the statement.

My father had admitted using my account to look at my housing options.

And now Patricia was telling me that he had been the person who started everything.

I called her again.

She answered, but her voice was trembling.

“Zarya, I know this is difficult.””

“Tell me exactly what happened.””

“Your mother asked me to help with a catering event on October 14. I arrived early to drop off paperwork. Your father was in the living room with the computer.””

“What was he doing?””

“He had your university portal open.””

I closed my eyes.

“Did you see him log in?””

“No. The account was already open when I arrived. But he was looking at your student information.””

“What did he say?””

“He said he was trying to find out whether your enrollment could be delayed without losing your scholarship.””

I gripped the edge of the table.

“That's what he told me.””

Patricia paused.

“But then he opened the confidential support request.””

My stomach tightened.

“How did he know about it?””

“I don't know. He seemed to know exactly where to find it. He read the statement, then called your mother into the room.””

I could hear my own heartbeat.

“What did they say?””

“Your mother was upset. She said the statement made it sound like she was forcing you to stay home. Your father told her that if the university believed you were being coerced, they might help you leave before they could stop you.””

I covered my mouth.

“Stop me from what?””

“From staying home. From helping with the business. From taking care of your sisters.””

I felt sick.

“Did he submit the request?””

“No. He said it had already been submitted, but it was still pending. He wanted to know who had written it.””

“Did he say my name?””

“Yes. He said you were making the family look bad by letting people outside the house know what was happening.””

I stared at the floor.

My father had told me that he was afraid of losing me.

But he had been more afraid of someone else helping me leave.

“What happened next?”” I asked.

Patricia took a breath.

“Your mother asked whether they could withdraw the request. Your father said he would handle it. Then he told her to stop talking about it because he didn't want anyone at the university asking questions.””

My fingers tightened around the phone.

“Did he cancel my scholarship that night?””

“No. Not that I saw.””

“Then when?””

“I don't know. I wasn't there on the morning it happened.””

I swallowed.

“Why didn't you tell me sooner?””

“Because your mother asked me not to get involved. She said the family was under pressure and that you were already upset. I thought she would tell you the truth herself.””

“And now?””

“Now I know she hasn't.””

I stared at the window.

“Patricia, did you write the statement?””

“Yes.””

“Why?””

“Because I had watched you work at those catering events. I saw you come in after school, serve food until late at night, then go home and take care of your sisters. I heard your mother say you couldn't leave because the family needed you. When I learned you had a full scholarship, I thought someone should make sure you knew you had options.””

Tears slipped down my face.

“You were trying to help me.””

“I was.””

“Then why did the request go through my account?””

Patricia hesitated.

“I didn't submit it through your account. I gave the statement to your mother because she said she would send it to the university.””

My heart stopped.

“My mother submitted it?””

“I thought she had. But when I saw the copy you sent me, the request was attached to your student profile. I didn't know how that happened.””

I closed my eyes.

My mother had taken Patricia's statement and used it in a request submitted through my account.

But why?

Had she genuinely wanted the university to help me?

Or had she been trying to find out what would happen if someone raised concerns about my home life?

And why had my father reacted as though the statement threatened him?

“Patricia,” I whispered, “do you have any proof of what you saw?””

“I still have the original statement. I also have the message your mother sent me asking me to write it.””

“Can you send it to me?””

“I'll send it to the university directly. I don't want anything to be lost or misunderstood.””

I appreciated that.

“Thank you.””

Before she hung up, Patricia said, “Zarya, I need you to know something. Your father wasn't the only one who was worried about what would happen if you left. But he was the one who kept saying the family couldn't manage without you.””

The call ended.

I sat at the table, unable to move.

Mrs. Brooks came into the kitchen.

“What happened?””

I told her everything.

She listened without interrupting.

When I finished, she sat down opposite me.

“Patricia's statement is important, but we still need the university to verify the records. Don't confront your father alone.””

I nodded.

“I don't want to confront him. I want him to stop lying.””

“Then let the evidence speak. You don't have to force a confession out of him.””

I looked down at my phone.

For years, I had believed that my father was the person who would protect me from my mother's anger.

Now I understood that he had helped preserve the very system that kept me trapped.

He had let me believe he was powerless because it was easier than admitting he had chosen not to act.

And when my future finally threatened to take me beyond his reach, he had used my own account to look for ways to keep me home.

But Patricia's statement suggested something worse.

He had known that someone was worried about my safety.

He had known that the university might offer me help.

And instead of making sure I was okay, he had treated the request as a threat.

My phone rang.

Daniel Price.

I answered immediately.

“Miss Carter, we've received additional information from the student support office and a statement from Patricia Ellis. We need to discuss the findings with you.””

I gripped the phone.

“Did you confirm who canceled my scholarship?””

“We have evidence that helps establish the sequence of events, but I want to be precise. We have not identified the individual who physically submitted every action with absolute certainty.””

“Then what have you found?””

“Our review indicates that your father accessed your student portal on October 14. The session remained active. A confidential support request was submitted later that evening through that session. We have also received a statement indicating that your father reviewed the request before the scholarship cancellation.””

I closed my eyes.

“So he knew about it.””

“The evidence suggests he was aware of the request. We're still reviewing the relationship between that activity and the actions submitted on October 28.””

“What about my mother?””

“We have a separate statement indicating that she used the same computer on the morning of October 28. She has also acknowledged accessing the account while it was open.””

My stomach tightened.

“So she canceled the scholarship?””

“We have evidence that she accessed the account and attempted to change your enrollment-related information. We are continuing to review which actions were submitted during her session and whether another person was involved.””

I gripped the phone.