I’ve left home. Right now, I’m more or less homeless, staying in a hotel my friend generously paid for (God bless him). This all started when my mum physically assaulted me for the first time since my dad passed away (the reason is a story for another day). She slapped me three times, leaving my face swollen, so I packed up and left four days later.
I had already been planning to leave later this year because she’s been essentially stealing from me—or, more accurately, from my late dad’s estate, which he left for me in his will. She’s been selling off properties from the estate, and it wasn’t until two years ago that I realized this was actually illegal. When I tried to confront her and push her to do the right thing, she called me a “gold digger.” Since then, a lot has happened. I’ve hired a lawyer, and we’re working on the logistics to ensure I get what’s rightfully mine.
After leaving home last Friday, I’ve been inundated with calls from family members. Everyone has tried to convince me to come back, even invoking my late dad’s name to guilt me into returning (we were incredibly close). Then came the call from my in-law on Sunday.
He told me my mum had gone to his house and shared her side of the story. He started by saying I was making the wrong decision, “two wrongs don’t make a right,” and other similar sentiments. He didn’t know my mum had slapped me, and I didn’t tell him because he said, “I won’t ask why you left yet. I just want you to go back so we can talk about it.” He insisted I was on the wrong path and that many people who’ve gone down this road didn’t have a happy ending. He kept quoting Hadiths, trying to support his argument for why I should return.
When he finally let me speak, I thanked him for his concern. I told him that while I wasn’t ready to share the full story, he should know the main reason I left: my mum is stealing from an orphan. In Islam, when your father dies, you are considered an orphan. I explained that she’s been stealing from me, and in our faith, stealing from an orphan guarantees a person a direct and certain path to Hell.
As you might guess, this got his attention. He stopped trying to guilt me into returning and actually listened. After I shared a summarized version of the situation, he changed his tone entirely. He started saying we needed to talk to my mum and involve the family to address this issue. He even apologized and admitted he was sorry for what I was going through, promising to stay updated on any progress. He hasn’t called since.
Since then, whenever another family member calls, I let them know my mum has been stealing from me. Each and every one of them stops asking me to go back home after hearing this. Now, the truth is spreading, and more family members are learning about the situation.
Meanwhile, my mum seems shocked that I actually left. She’s been acting remorseful and worried, but honestly, it’s too late for that now.
Apologies for any typos—I’m on mobile.
