“Character is built in discomfort,” he’d always tell me. “You gotta face the worst now if you want a life full of luxuries ahead.”

But he’d also buy me chocolates and ice cream on days I didn’t feel good.Meanwhile, my mother has always been the typical loving mom.

She’s always ready for hugs and kisses and never says no whenever I ask her to cook my favorite pasta.

She has always been a sweetheart.However, I recently felt that my parents were not the same anymore.

Over the past few months, they had grown cold, and the love and care had suddenly vanished.

Honestly, I sometimes felt like I was living with two strangers in the house. It felt like we had lost the connection we always had.

Then began the unnecessary complaints and nitpicking from Dad’s side. “You and your friends were too loud last night!”

“You’re staying out too late, Amy.” “You’re spending too much on unnecessary things!”

Then came the complaint that really snatched my self-confidence.”You smell horrible, go take a cold shower and use the soap I gave you!”

I smell horrible? What? I thought. Where did that comefrom? That was the day when Dad handed me this soap I had never seen before.