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Rose and her boyfriend Jake were chilling at his new apartment, and the relaxed atmosphere was a much-needed break for her. Rose’s family had been driving her up a wall, as they always seemed to do. Once again, they expected her to carry the weight of everything on her shoulders, making unreasonable demands without considering how it affected her.
As she ranted to Jake, she recounted how her mother insisted that she "let go of the past" and "forgive and forget." Iris claimed the family had changed, but Rose wasn’t buying it. How could she forgive people who never took accountability? They hadn’t apologized, nor did they intend to stop their toxic behavior.
Forgiving them felt like handing them another free pass, an excuse to continue treating her poorly. Her entire life had been a cycle of being blamed for everything, and no one in her family had taken responsibility. Forgiveness wouldn’t set her free when the abuse was still ongoing.
Her twin sister, Lily, was the worst offender—a manipulative and violent woman who always twisted the narrative to make Rose look like the villain. Lily threw tantrums, insulted people, and then lied online, pretending it was Rose who was the problem. Rose had never harassed her sister, nor had she physically hurt anyone. Yet Lily refused to listen whenever Rose tried to have a serious conversation about their issues. Instead, she would deflect, never accepting accountability for her own actions.
Even worse, their mother was just as dismissive. One time, when Lily had thrown a tantrum over something trivial, Rose simply told her it wasn’t her business, and Lily started screaming. Their mother’s response? Slapping Rose, not Lily.
When the police got involved, they told Iris she had committed assault. Iris’s defense? "How else was I supposed to get her to shut up!"
And now they expected Rose to forgive them. But for what? A lifetime of mistreatment that still hadn’t ended? Forgiveness wasn’t an option when the abuse was still happening. Her family’s behavior wasn’t in the past; it was very much a part of her present. Yet, somehow, Rose was always the one expected to "be the bigger person" and move on.
Jake listened quietly as Rose vented her frustrations. She was tired of hearing people preach about the virtues of forgiveness when the people causing her pain showed no remorse, no understanding of the damage they’d done. Forgiving her family wouldn’t give her peace—it would only allow them to continue their abuse unchecked.
She told Jake that some things were truly unforgivable, and her family’s refusal to change or take responsibility for their actions made it clear they didn’t deserve her forgiveness. It would be a cold day in hell before she gave them that satisfaction.