For nine years, I lived with fake food allergies I didn’t have. It started when I was seven, after my mom married Arnold, who claimed his kids—Joselyn and Brandon—had severe allergies. He banned dairy, nuts, and seafood from our home “for safety.” Suddenly, I couldn’t eat anything I loved. No peanut butter, no pizza, no shrimp. Every birthday, we went to the same bland allergen-free restaurant, Green Garden Café, while I pretended to enjoy cardboard-tasting meals.

By the time I was 16, I had enough. My best friend Maya offered to sneak me real food—just once—for my birthday. She brought shrimp, my favorite. I hid it in a gift bag under the table. But Joselyn smelled it, grabbed the container, and disappeared. We found her behind the restaurant, devouring the shrimp—completely fine. No allergic reaction.

Everyone froze. My mom panicked, but Joselyn casually confessed. “We’re not allergic. Dad made it up so we’d get more attention.” Arnold tried to shut her up, but it was too late. The truth shattered everything.

Arnold admitted the lie. “I just wanted us to feel like a family,” he muttered. My mom broke down, horrified. “Nine years,” I said through tears. “Nine years you ignored me for a lie.”

Three weeks later, Mom filed for divorce. Arnold and his kids moved out. She tried to make it up to me—offered pizza, ice cream—but I couldn’t forgive her. Not yet.

Next year, I’m leaving for college. Finally, I’ll choose my food, my life, my future—on my terms.