So there's a bit of a story behind it all. My mum is the owner to the "family business", and in the last year we have to 2 new locations. This business has been going on for 8 years, since I was 10, and i've been there since the beginning. My siblings got new jobs a couple years back and ditched out, but whenever I tried to leave, my mum would always find a way to guilt trip me back in. Things have gotten more and more stressful since our 2nd move to a new storefront, as our customer base has drastically decreased and we are not making nearly enough money to pay bills, let alone each other. (Correction: the owners, my parents, cannot pay me and my aunt, the only two employees) We have worked when they ask us to work, taken days off when they say they can't pay us, hell we even worked for free!

That's the basics, and since I've been little, I have always followed my mum around, making sure she knows what's going on and generally taking care of her. I always have. She was a single mom with 3 kids with a waitressing job, what was I supposed to do?

I gave up my childhood to clean the house, make dinner, and do the laundry around homework (and the business). I would go to the farmers markets with her where our business began, counted change for her and made sure she ate.

Then I turned 18.

I have to look out for myself. I'm moving out and going to college. I'm not going to end up like her. No career with 3 kids. I can't follow her every step to kiss every boo boo or tell her where her phone is. I can't nod and say "yes mum" like I have my entire life.

So I said no.

And I was told to find a new place to live.