I Was Raised by My Grandmother, But Now My Parents Want Me to Pay Them Child Support

My family and I lived in different towns, scattered across England. We havent seen one another in over twenty years now. My parents built their lives as artists and sang in a choir, always journeying from one performance to another. When I turned five, I began living with my grandmother. She wished to make things more manageable for herself, so she moved in with some of her relatives, taking me along.

In those early days, Mum and Dad visited us twice, occasionally three times a year, though after a while their visits dwindled until they nearly stopped altogether. Eventually, all contact faded away, and I found myself not even thinking of them anymore. The ties were simply broken. By the time I reached university and was studying dentistry, I married in my third year.

Years have passed, and now my husband and I run our own dental clinic, earning a comfortable living. About a year ago, my mother and father resurfaced. They started calling the clinic, having lost my personal number entirely. Our conversations consisted mostly of them voicing complaints about their lot in life.

I listened to it all, replying only that theyd chosen this path themselves when they decided their daughter ought to be raised by her grandmother. On occasion, my parents sent my grandmother a few pounds, but those gestures were rare; most of the time, Gran and I got by on her pension alone. She spoke of it often, and I understoodwe had to be wise and thrifty with every expense.

At school, I worked hard so Id have enough for basics and clothes. I took a job at the hospital as a night assistant. Now I see my life as separate from theirs, and believe that everyone should walk their own way.

Once it became clear to my parents that I wouldnt be offering them help, they began mentioning the possibility of seeking maintenance payments. Those words finally drove me away from them completely. If I ever doubted myself or considered supporting them financially before, now Ive lost even the desire to know them at all. I wonder sometimesam I right to feel this way, or should I help my parents after all?