I've Been Bartering My Whole Life, I Just Didn't Call It That

I grew up in a house where love was transactional. Not cruelly, it was just the way it was. Be a version that I want you to be and you receive love. The price was never written down but it was always real, and I learnt what parts of me caused withdrawal and what brought warmth.

The people pleaser was born in that economy. The one who gives everything and asks for very little, because asking feels dangerous