Fair treatment among siblings is vital for a healthy family relationship.

Imagine parents who pay for every child to go to college except for one. If you were that one child, would you be upset at your parents, and would there be anything they could do to make it right?

This woman grew up in a home where traditional gender roles dictated her future.

Her parents didn’t allow or support her to go to college, but she went anyway, paying for it herself.

Years later, her parents wanted to reconcile with her, and she’s wondering if she’s being too harsh.

Read the full story below for all the details.

AITA – Telling my parents to pay me back my college tuition if they want a relationship

I was raised by parents who believed, religiously and culturally, in rigid gender roles.

Dad should work, and mom should stay home with the kids.

I’m the only girl and have three brothers.

Their expectation was that I’d stay home with kids. They never valued my education, educational achievements, or emphasized things beyond domestic skills.

This woman’s brothers were sent and supported by their parents to go to college.

I’m the second youngest.

By the time I was in high school, my two older brothers had gone to the college of their choice, with my parents fully covering tuition, books, an off-campus apartment, and other living expenses.

They eventually did the same for my younger brother.

But she wasn’t allowed, so she secretly applied on her own.

I was told I wasn’t allowed to apply for college.

I applied in secret and got accepted with a partial scholarship.

I didn’t tell them I was moving out until a week before I left with essentially nothing but what a few friends gave to me that their parents bought “them” for college.

I took engineering and had to work, take on debt, and struggle.

She now has a family and is expecting their first child.

My parents and I have barely spoken for years.

I’m married now and expecting our first child, and they asked to meet up.

We met at a park, and they said they were “sorry if they caused me pain,” but they would like a relationship now.

She told her parents to pay her back the amount she spent on college.

I asked them specifically what they were sorry for.

They wouldn’t elaborate and just said they wanted to move forward.

I said that wasn’t sufficient.

In the end, I said they could prove they were sorry by forwarding me $100k which was for my degree and college expenses, just like they did for my brothers.

Now, her brothers are calling her immature.

My mom burst into tears.

My dad said I wasn’t being serious, and I just left.

Since then, I’ve been getting calls from my brothers telling me I’m being immature and hurtful.

I don’t think so at all.

She pointed out how unfairly her parents treated her, and they didn’t like it. Of course her brothers don’t understand. Their parents paid for their education.

Let’s check out the comments of other people on Reddit to this story.

The 100k ask is fair, says this person.

This user gives their honest opinion.

This person shares their personal thoughts.

Here’s a valid point from this person.

Finally, this person thinks they deserve it.

Making amends starts with accountability, not avoidance.

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.