Date: April 21, 2025
Author: Laura Mitchell
I never thought I’d end up in a place like this, where the person who should be my biggest support becomes my greatest source of pain. My mother is getting older, and the changes in her have been harder for me to accept than I thought they would be. As her age catches up with her, so does her need for control. It’s almost as if the older she gets, the tighter she grips onto the strings that tie us together. And it’s not love; it’s manipulation.
She’s always had a way of getting what she wants, but now, it’s like she doesn’t even try to hide it. Lately, her tactics have become more direct, more calculated. It feels like every conversation turns into an emotional trap. And if I don’t do exactly what she wants, she punishes me. The latest act of this power play? She gave away one of my two cats without even asking. My cats are my comfort, my constant in a world that often feels too unpredictable. But now, one of them is gone.
When I confronted her, she acted as though it was no big deal. “You need to talk to me more,” she said, “or I’ll give away the other one, too.” The message was clear: comply with her demands, or I lose everything I care about. I’m not sure if she realizes the extent to which she’s pushing me, or maybe she doesn’t care. Either way, it feels like a game to her. A game where I’m forced to play by her rules or face the consequences.
But here’s the thing: I think she’s unaware of just how much power she holds over me. I’m waiting for her to do it. To take the last tether I have left. I think part of me is hoping she’ll follow through on her threat, because maybe, just maybe, if I have nothing left to hold onto, it’ll give me an out. I know it’s a horrible thought, but that’s how I feel. If she takes the cat, maybe there will be nothing left in this world to keep me here.
It’s such a twisted way of thinking, I know. But I can’t help it. I feel trapped. Not just by her actions, but by the weight of everything—her manipulation, my isolation, and the overwhelming pressure to keep pretending that everything is fine when it’s anything but.
I’m still holding on, though. For now, at least. I don’t know what the future holds or what I’ll do if she follows through with her threats. But one thing is certain: I can’t keep living in this toxic back-and-forth. I need to figure out how to get myself out of this mental maze she’s created, even if it means facing the uncomfortable truth that, at some point, I may have to let go of her to save myself.
