“You Wouldn’t Enjoy It Anyway.” I Raised My Glass And Said,
“Understood.” That Night, I Canceled Every Resort Booking And Reversed The Spa Deposit. At The Dock, They Were Told,
“Nothing’s Paid.” My Dad’s Call Came First:
“FIX THIS NOW.” I Smiled And Replied…
My name is Shaina J. Pina. I’m 32. And if you had seen me that Thursday evening in late summer sitting in my parents’ backyard under the faint buzzing string lights, you would have thought I was having a perfectly normal night. Everyone had a glass in hand, laughing about something my cousin had done on a past trip, and I wasn’t really part of the conversation until my mom looked directly at me and said quietly,
“This weekend’s just for the people who really matter.” Before I could even process it, my sister leaned back in her chair and added,
“You wouldn’t enjoy it anyway.” I raised my glass, kept my smile steady, and said,
“Understood.” To them, it probably looked like I was letting it roll off my back, like I was used to being dismissed. But in that moment, a switch flipped. It wasn’t just what they said. It was what it represented. The casual way they erased me while still expecting to enjoy the life I’d been quietly paying for. Because the thing they didn’t realize was that this particular weekend wasn’t something they’d cobbled together on their own. I had been the one who booked the oceanfront resort months in advance, securing suites with panoramic views. I’d reserved the spa package my mom wouldn’t stop talking about, prepaid for the treatment so no one would have to pull out a card. I’d even covered the deposit for the yacht they were planning to take out for an afternoon sale, complete with a catered lunch and champagne. They didn’t even know the cost because, as always, I handled it all quietly.
That’s been the pattern for years. I’ve always been the one who foots the bill. Vacations, birthdays, unexpected hospital bills, new furniture, even car repairs. Whenever someone in my family needed something, I stepped in. Not once did I make a big deal out of it. I thought it was what you did when you were fortunate enough to have more than enough. My company had been doing well for years. I’d made the right investments and money was never the issue. What I didn’t realize back then was that generosity, if never respected, can quietly turn into a leash, one they could pull anytime they wanted something. I didn’t argue with them that night. I didn’t ask why. I didn’t push back or demand an explanation. I just drove home without saying another word about it because something in me had gone oddly calm. The kind of calm that scares you later when you look back and realize you didn’t feel hurt. You felt finished. When I walked into my place, my boyfriend, Ethan Cole, looked up like he could tell immediately that something was off. He asked why I was so quiet and I gave him the same automatic answer I always gave when I didn’t want to talk.
The story doesn’t end here –
it continues on the next page.
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