Difficult childhoods are painful to unpack, even as an adult.

After being sent to live with their grandparents at a young age, this person still struggles with the impact it had.

Years later, when they see their neighbor who they believe reported their mom to Child Protective Services, emotions come flooding back.

You’ll want to read on for this one.

AITA for being angry that my neighbor reported my mother to CPS

Me and my mother used to be close 11 years ago, but we have distanced ourselves ever since she sent me to my grandparents.

That was because a neighbor of mine reported her to CPS.

My father passed early, so I don’t have much memory of him, all I remembered was my mother and me.

They think back on their relationship with their mom.

She taught me simple chores, grocery shopping and cook simple meals for myself if she had to come home late.

I used to go to school myself for a while too until the school told my mother that it was not safe and we changed to school bus instead.

The neighbors got very involved in their life.

During that time my neighbors, a middle age couple were very friendly with us.

Mary (not real name), the wife was especially concerned for my well being.

She had me over for meals sometimes and would also offer to help around in my home, though I did not let her in.

Feeling threatened, they kept their neighbors at arms length.

I remembered telling her many times that I love my mother very much and we were living happily together, but she kept telling me that a child should not be doing this and that.

I found her very nosey and overbearing, but I tried to be polite so that I don’t offend her.

The visitors to their house continued.

Then all of a sudden, there were many concerned visitors, people who came to talk to both me and my mother, asking how we were doing and all.

There was this other lady who also talked to me alone and asking all sorts of questions about my life.

Then came a big life change.

Somewhere later, my mother decided to send me to be raised by my grandparents, despite my protests.

Back to the present.

I am now 19, visited my mother a few days ago for a short stay, catching up with life and things like that.

Then another familiar face walked through the door.

Here came the doors knocking and Mary came in telling me how delighted she was to see me all grown up.

I just felt this resentment towards her, remembering how she reported my mother despite telling her many times that we were doing fine and happy.

They weren’t at all happy to see her.

I greeted her rather coldly.

When Mary asked why, I told her matter-of-factly that I hate her for being nosey reporting my mother back then, hope she was proud of herself for that.

Mary left rather hurt and sad, and my mother told me I was rude to our good neighbor, though she didn’t seem too bothered.

AITA?

Old memories are so hard to face sometimes.

What did Reddit make of all this?

This redditor has a chilling comment for the author.

This commenter believes there’s a lot this author doesn’t understand, being so young.

From the outside looking in, this relationship just wasn’t healthy.

This user isn’t exactly following the story.

Does holding on to all that resentment help or hurt?

Old wounds sometimes cut deeper than expected.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.