So last August I went to college at a large public college with one of the best business programs in the country which I was accepted into. My parents are very hardcore, traditional Catholics however who wanted me to go to a small, catholic college. I have been question Catholicism/the intensity of their Catholicism since the 6th grade, and as of my sophomore/junior year had officially decided that I was not a catholic. I never told them this directly tho, as I was afraid of what they might do to me. They sent two of my brothers to a tiny catholic boarding school (one where they wake up at 6am for prayer, have no access to any technology, and they have to learn Latin to participate in praying) in the middle of nowhere when they found out they had sex. They had adopted a boy, but when he was older they sent him back to the orphanage because they found him smoking weed. Anyways, so I was always terrified of being anything but imperfect in front of them, Bc that’s what they demanded.

So finally I go to college, and they let me go to the public college I wanted to Bc I had a great scholarship, and Bc I did in fact promise that I would go to church every Sunday.

Little did I know but they were tracking my phone, something they said they would only do in emergencies, and quickly told me they would withdraw all financial support from me unless I started going to church and gave them oicture evidence that I was going to church. When I said that I wasn’t going to do that, they withdrew their support, and acted surprised and like I was in the wrong for feeling angry that they were using their money to try and manipulate me.

I truly understand that their ability to help me pay for college is a gift, don’t get me wrong, I realize how lucky I am. But it feels more like a bribe in this situation, a situation that asks me to compromise what I personally believe to accommodate for them. There’s a lot more to the story, but this is a very fair imo summary of what happened. I also want to add that I have truly been a model child, I was valedictorian, president of my class, got invited into the honors college at my university, don’t drink, smoke, or party (not saying those things are bad, but in my parents eyes they are). Ami going crazy to feel like they are trying to manipulate me? Is my heart hurting justified? Please be honest, if I’m in the wrong I want to know.