My Family Believes I’m Abroad Studying—In Reality, I Dropped Out
I am actually originally from Nigeria, but all back home think I am still studying in the UK. I once forged a fake acceptance letter just to make them believe it. When they video call, I wear a hoodie, blur at the back and say I am overwhelmed with course work. I have even forged Zoom classes just to make it believable. What’s true is, I actually dropped out a year ago. I couldn’t keep up. It was just too much pressure, both moneywise and mentally. I tried to grit it out, but with months of anxiety and unpaid bills, I just quit. But how do you explain to your family, who sacrificed everything to bring you there, that you failed? Today, I toil at late-night cleaning shifts for offices in London, occupy a small, barely affordable room, and scroll through posts of my friends’ graduations with a constricted chest. I still keep sending my parents updates—doctoring photos, fabrication upon fabrication, lies upon lies. They’re most proud. It pains me most. At times, I consider simply confessing. But I’m afraid it will shatter their hearts. I have no idea how long I can continue with this. Has anyone ever found himself or herself under similar circumstances? Please, what do you do if you were me?
Please, what do you do if you were me?
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