I got a job while I was in high school. It was with a friend of my father. I put away most of it and just bought myself some stuff I wanted but my parents wouldn't buy for me. My parents aren't rich but they do well enough. They wanted me to appreciate that material goods were paid for with my time.

I didn't mind. I bought myself a PS4 and some games. Which they made me share with my younger brother and sister. Once again I didn't mind. I mostly played while they did homework or slept.

When I graduated from high school they said I had to start paying rent. That sucked because I was going to university in the fall and I was hoping to save up over the summer so I could work less during the school year.

So I worked my ass off in school and at work. I ended up getting a job loading delivery trucks before school. And that sucked because I went to sleep at 7 pm most nights so I could get up early and go to work.

I am about to graduate and I found a job in another province. I have already started doing my onboarding and online training. I will go from graduation to loading my car to leave.
My parents had a graduation party for me where they tried to present me with a cheque for all the rent I paid plus a pittance in interest.

I looked at the cheque for about a minute and I started laughing. All I could think of was the fact that I had no social life during university. Because I was working. I didn't have any money in investments like my friends did. Because they were taking my money.
I asked them how they were doing this for my sister. They said they weren't since she wasn't working while she went to school.

I tore up the cheque and told them to shove it up their asses. I told them that when they compensated me for all the sleep I lost, four years of no social life during university and four summer vacations, I would speak to them again. I told my little brother not to get a job or they would fuck him over too.

I went to my room, grabbed my computer, some clothes, my PS4, and my toiletries. My brother and sister can play on the PS5 my parents bought the family.

They were yelling at me the whole time. I said if they touched me or tried to stop me I would call the cops. I loaded up my car, that I paid for, I insure, and is registered to me. I drove to my friend's parent's house and had a bit of a breakdown.
They let me stay there since she is away at university in another city. I blocked my parents and my brother and sister.

I had already given notice at my job so I called my boss and told him I was sick and would not be available for my last week. He said he understood and laughed. He said he was surprised I had kept working this close to graduation.

My grandfather called me to talk a couple of days later. We went to Timmies and he let me unload everything I felt. They took money from me that I could have used to make my life better. I didn't even have time for a girlfriend. My entire university romantic life was hooking up with a woman I work with when her ex husband had the kids for the weekend.
He said my parent's hearts were in the right place and that they thought they were helping me. I said they owed me four years of fun. Of parties I was too tired to go to. Of social events and networking I didn't do. All the shit they were subsidizing for my sister. And that they would end up subsidizing for my brother.

He said he understood and hugged me. He is old but I couldn't have gotten free of that hug if I tried. He asked me if I needed money to start my new job. I said I did not want anything that came from my parents. He gave me a cashier's cheque for about three times what my parents took from me. He said to use it however I wanted in my new life.
He said it wasn't part of my inheritance or anything. It was a gift from him and something my grandma would have wanted me to have.

My friends think I was stupid to tear up the cheque. Most of them agree with me about being pissed at my parents. Some family have called me to say I behaved terribly and that I owe my parents an apology. I thank them for the call or message and block them.
I'm calmer now and I do not think I am in the wrong. But maybe I'm too close to see what I'm missing.
AITAH