I’m still kind of in shock. A few weeks ago, I got a big raise at work. Super happy about it; felt like a big adult milestone or whatever.
Went to dinner with my parents to celebrate (thought it’d be chill), and as soon as the check comes, my dad asks how much I make. I said, “That’s private.” He straight up snapped, “We have a right to know!” Before I could even respond, my mom jumped in with, “You’d be nothing without us!”
I just left. Like, literally got up and walked out. Spent the next few weeks avoiding them, mostly because I didn’t even know how to process the mix of rage, hurt, and betrayal I was feeling.
Then, out of nowhere, an envelope shows up at my place. I open it, and I freeze. Inside? Student loan papers. Loans I’d never seen before.
Turns out, my parents took out $80,000 in Parent PLUS loans for my education without telling me. And get this, the attached payment plan had my name listed as the responsible party.
On top of that, there’s a sticky note that says, “Time to pay us back. Monthly payment: $1000.” I feel blindsided, angry, and honestly a little sick.
I get that they might’ve thought they were helping, but this is huge. It’s my credit on the line, my financial future, and they never even talked to me about it. I’m torn between being furious, feeling completely betrayed, and honestly being kind of scared about how to handle this.
So, Bright Side, would I be an awful daughter if I told them to figure this out with the bank themselves? Or am I obligated to pay them back just because they threw my name on the loans?
