![](https://rescueanimals.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/image-361-1024x536.png)
My husband helped me raise my daughters, although he was not their biological father. In the end, he made a huge decision on his own that changed my life and ruined everything.
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Years ago, I met Nicholas during the hardest time of my life. I was a single mother and had two daughters to feed. But we fell in love and got married in less than a year. We also moved into the most beautiful home I could imagine.
Nicholas had been divorced in the past and had a son he barely spoke to, Nick Jr. His ex-wife did everything in her power to stop Nicholas from seeing the kid. He hated her attitude and missed his son.
![We moved into a beautiful house after our wedding. | Source: Shutterstock](https://cdn.amomama.com/d4c9ff07fa44280f646dab2079084499.jpg)
We moved into a beautiful house after our wedding. | Source: Shutterstock
Therefore, he took on a fatherly role with my daughters and became the best dad they ever had. Eventually, they stopped calling him “stepfather.” He was just their dad. But that was more than 20 years ago. My daughters grew up and now have families of their own.
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Luckily, my eldest, Darlene, gave us two grandchildren. Nicholas adored those boys, and they visited often. They came for lunch one Sunday, and I wanted to talk to Darlene about something serious. My husband had told me something the night before that I wasn’t sure I could deal with at all.
I thought it was unfair, but I wanted my daughter’s honest opinion. Luckily, Nicholas planned to take the kids to the park. “Ok, Alice, honey. See you later,” he said, giving me a worried look because he knew I had been thinking about last night.
![I had to talk to Darlene about what her father did. | Source: Pexels](https://cdn.amomama.com/a6c22e33209605db72eeb86021d81dd1.jpeg)
I had to talk to Darlene about what her father did. | Source: Pexels
“Mom, what’s going on?” Darlene asked when we were finally alone.
“Oh, Darlene. I don’t know what I’m going to do now. I don’t know if I’m being selfish or what,” I started.
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“Tell me. We’ll figure things out,” she told me.
“Last night, your father revealed something that I’m not sure I can forgive. He willed this big mansion to his son, Nick,” I explained.
“What? I thought he hadn’t spoken to Nick in years,” Darlene said, confused.
“He hasn’t! Ever since that big fight where Nick called him all kinds of names because Nicholas wouldn’t give him money,” I added.
“But then, he’s giving him this house? You live here too. You guys are married,” Darlene continued.
![Darlene couldn't believe Nicholes would do this. | Source: Pexels](https://cdn.amomama.com/1f0e41b96d1f8c06ac99f3cd3324cd06.jpg)
Darlene couldn’t believe Nicholes would do this. | Source: Pexels
“That’s the problem, sweetheart. He just made that decision on his own without telling me anything about it. He showed me the will last night. It has been notarized and everything,” I said. “He is also giving him all the money in his bank account.”
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“I can’t believe Dad would do this,” Darlene said. “I mean…I wasn’t expecting anything for my sister or me. But he completely disregarded us…his family for 20 years.”
“That’s how I feel. Like after all this time, we were never his real family! His son has treated him horribly for so long, and I know that his horrible mother influenced him. But still…I don’t know what to do,” I finished and dried the tears running down my face.
![We always had a seemingly great relationship. | Source: Pexels](https://cdn.amomama.com/dea1e73af531f6062e091d47b44d34fa.jpg)
We always had a seemingly great relationship. | Source: Pexels
“I’m just in shock. You guys have had the perfect relationship for so long. My husband and I talked about it all the time. I can’t believe Dad would do this,” Darlene muttered. “Let me call Rosaline. Let’s see what she thinks.”
“Dad did what?!” Rosaline yelled through the speakerphone. “I can’t believe it. I don’t want his money, but I can’t believe he wouldn’t want Mom to be set for life if anything happens.”
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“Yeah, that’s how I feel,” Darlene told her sister. Meanwhile, I was still crying softly.
“Well, I’m sorry. I consider him my father, but I won’t tolerate this. Mom, you have rights to the house and the money. We are taking legal action NOW!” Rosaline exclaimed and hung up.
![I didn't want to take legal action, but my daughters insisted. | Source: Pexels](https://cdn.amomama.com/06676dd6d8e4f466e905c4968f7e711b.jpg)
I didn’t want to take legal action, but my daughters insisted. | Source: Pexels
“I didn’t want to take this any further. He’s my husband, and I know he wants to take care of Nick Jr. because he wasn’t there most of his life,” I told Darlene, hoping that she would convince her sister to back down.
“No, Mom. That wasn’t Dad’s fault or yours. What are you going to do if something happens? You would be left homeless and penniless. Rosaline is right. We have no option unless he changes his will,” Darlene coaxed.
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“I’ll try to talk to him,” I said tentatively. But I knew Nicholas. I knew he wouldn’t change his mind. I talked to him that night after Darlene left with her kids. Nicholas wouldn’t budge, so I packed my things and went to stay at Rosaline’s house.
![Our relationship was ruined, but at least, I wasn't homeless and penniless. | Source: Pexels](https://cdn.amomama.com/d3ee6f89a76151c8a8ffbd9686739029.jpeg)
Our relationship was ruined, but at least, I wasn’t homeless and penniless. | Source: Pexels
We took him to court but gave him many chances to change his mind. In the end, Nicholas decided to sell the big house and give me half the price. I didn’t want to divorce him, but there was no other option. So I received half our savings as well.
He ruined our relationship. My daughters and I never saw him again. In the end, he didn’t consider us family at all.
What can we learn from this story?
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- Money troubles can ruin everything. Nicholas disregarded part of his family in favor of his son, and in the end, he ruined his marriage.
- You have to protect yourself. Alice didn’t want to take her husband to court, but her daughters wanted to protect her.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
My Stepmom Gifted Me a Funerary Urn for My 17th Birthday
![](https://rescueanimals.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image-52.png)
As Lila was ready to celebrate her 17th birthday, she received an unexpected and creepy gift from her stepmother: a pink funerary urn. Like the type you keep ashes in? Yes, that’s the one. But that’s not all! Lila learns that her college fund was given to Monica to open her salon. What will Lila do?
Let me tell you, I’ve been sitting on this one for a few days, just trying to make sense of what went down.
I always thought my stepmom, Monica, was the worst, though not Disney villain evil. She was the kind of person who talks over you, forgets your birthday, and calls you “kiddo” when you’re practically an adult.
![A smiling teenage girl | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/74a7fe23c90d8a4451307d842e2102309e9f9a03d4ff8fa5f8474a8730e45489.png)
A smiling teenage girl | Source: Midjourney
But, what she pulled on my 17th birthday? It shattered whatever shaky truce we had.
At least, that’s what I thought. Turns out, things weren’t exactly what they seemed.
Here’s how it all went down.
My mom, Sarah, died when I was ten, and after that, it was just Dad and me. We were a solid team. The type of team that has pizza for dinner half the week, late-night movies, and this unspoken agreement that we’d always have each other’s backs.
![Two boxes of pizza on a coffee table | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/866f657300d45e0a1fe8e3bb306c657339a289458de62f6cfa798d7769b6e67a.png)
Two boxes of pizza on a coffee table | Source: Midjourney
Then came Monica, about three years ago.
At first, she wasn’t horrible; she was just… there. Like a stray cat that never leaves, so you have no choice but to adopt it. Monica moved into our house, took over the bathroom with her fifty bottles of face serums and creams, and slowly pushed her way into my dad’s world.
Monica had big dreams of opening a hair salon, which was fine. I wasn’t against people having dreams. I had my own dreams waiting for me, but she treated me like I was just this annoying piece of furniture that came with the house.
![A woman's vanity | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/2aa2539a82a50f8468ec4874c76584c9a5d5be270ef7fab75b0b3b1aedef07d4.png)
A woman’s vanity | Source: Midjourney
Honestly, I was counting down the days until I could escape to college.
Dad had promised me since middle school that there was a college fund waiting for me.
“Don’t worry, sweet girl,” he told me. “Your mom and I put together the fund when you were five. There’s more than enough, and every year on your birthday and Christmas, I add more.”
![A smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/5142ecb1180bc1e8bbdbcd52a2da384799995fd84988fe9367905d7e47c6221b.png)
A smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney
“Thank you, Dad,” I said. “I just want to study and make something of myself, like Mom said.”
“You only have to worry about your grades, Lila,” he said. “I’ll handle the rest.”
Naturally, I worked my butt off in school, knowing that in a few years, I’d be out of here.
![A smiling man | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/3f3959ac4099e0254981af48466be40bfd0ca704cb17ac6ba626d5a642af1a60.png)
A smiling man | Source: Midjourney
College was my golden ticket, and no one — not even Monica — would stand in my way.
At least, that’s what I thought.
On the morning of my 17th birthday, I came downstairs expecting the usual lukewarm effort. By lukewarm, I mean a sad card, some pancakes, and Monica forgetting my favorite syrup. Dad was at work, so it was just Mon and I.
![A plate of pancakes and a card on a table | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/9a97d110c2f7640c2fcfb3430cf2c2ee4e38603179075f8485f999d396dcddc1.png)
A plate of pancakes and a card on a table | Source: Midjourney
She handed me a gift bag, which was already weird because Monica wasn’t exactly the thoughtful or sentimental type.
“Happy Birthday, kiddo,” she said, flashing one of her tight-lipped smiles.
I wasn’t expecting much, but I sure as hell wasn’t expecting this.
I reached inside the bag and pulled out… an urn.
![A shocked teenage girl | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/3f7d56929adf22b18d43ad3380e38dc687ddbc05579db6125689e1cc03d72b3a.png)
A shocked teenage girl | Source: Midjourney
A funerary urn.
You know, the kind that people store ashes in. Cold, heavy, and, well, pink. It was pink.
I just stared at it, my brain short-circuiting.
“What the hell is this?” I asked, holding the urn like it was cursed.
![A pink funerary urn | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/35a67732dde1ab168e70ff8c5c1d06385274a15a731e11b959f38681d6858b74.png)
A pink funerary urn | Source: Midjourney
Monica leaned against the kitchen counter, smug as ever.
“It’s symbolic,” she said as if that explained anything.
“Symbolic of what?”
Monica’s grin widened.
![A smiling woman in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/c961fe6e25424f1f377b9c5932e3fc8c6bbdbfe4d46efadc1673d40ef2052e5f.png)
A smiling woman in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
“It’s time to bury your dreams of college, kiddo. Your dad and I talked about this, and we decided to put the college fund to better use.”
“Better use?” I asked, a cold shiver running through me.
“Yep. We’re investing it in my hair salon. College is a gamble, Lila. A business? That’s something real, sweetie.”
![A hair salon being renovated | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/870b15688ecbf9178b2f0aba10aff9ea6e44b20e48df03c5caec39382ac2de41.png)
A hair salon being renovated | Source: Midjourney
She sipped her coffee like she’d just said the most reasonable thing in the world.
I was frozen in place, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard. Had they really taken my future, everything I’d worked for, and sunk it into Monica’s salon dream?
“How could you do this?” I whispered.
Monica just smiled, a little too pleased with herself.
![A shocked teenage girl | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/553cf36a5335828ea6380f17a07d950041b23773aa6ce25c6c9ef0c4d65e8053.png)
A shocked teenage girl | Source: Midjourney
“Life’s full of disappointments, kiddo. Better get used to it now,” she said.
Wow.
That was it. I was done. I ran upstairs, slamming the door behind me so hard that the walls shook.
I cried so hard it hurt. What else could I do? Everything I had been holding onto was gone, and the only person I thought I could count on, Dad, had let this happen.
![An upset teenage girl | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/147f184af5ebe366b010abce6b1616cdb63a5234e9c14be854d4fb398aa28cad.png)
An upset teenage girl | Source: Midjourney
My mom wanted me to get out and make something of myself. And now? It was all over.
The next few days were a blur. I didn’t speak to Monica or my dad unless I absolutely had to. Every time I looked at that stupid urn sitting on my desk, my stomach twisted.
I couldn’t even bring myself to throw it out. It felt like some kind of morbid evidence. Like proof of the betrayal I didn’t see coming.
![A pink funerary urn on a desk | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/3a043dcc69a5f3579cbafb44b0a812c6fc74f1e3e0c90ec6f4a5c038d3037dec.png)
A pink funerary urn on a desk | Source: Midjourney
At school, my friends tried to cheer me up.
“Maybe she thought it was funny, Lila,” my friend Kira said. “Like, who really knows what Monica is thinking?”
“And anyway, there’s nothing stopping you from throwing it out! Just do it! Don’t overthink it,” Mel said.
![Three teenage girls | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/28eab4a7effb1b17a798ad965d5a0611e71ca47425b043aec1f734133e71698b.png)
Three teenage girls | Source: Midjourney
But still, I couldn’t focus on anything other than the fact that Monica was prancing around, acting like she was the queen of the house, while I sat there with no future.
Then, a few days later, something strange happened.
When I got home from school, there was a note on my desk. Not in an envelope, just folded, with my name written in Monica’s messy handwriting.
![A woman sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/647a53f9e7c24420bf68726958e9033423397d425a1d4eded8cdc954d628923e.png)
A woman sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
Meet me at the salon at 6 P.M. tonight. No questions. Just trust me. -M.
I almost laughed out loud. Trust her? Yeah, right.
But something about the note gnawed at me. Maybe it was the fact that I wanted to confront her one last time, tell her exactly what I thought of her.
Against my better judgment, I decided to go.
![A note on a table | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/52cb84e2e331c6ceefc30ded8ce9f5fee52936788e17a4ed2886138b5c5f5e37.png)
A note on a table | Source: Midjourney
When I got to the salon, the lights were off, and the front door was unlocked.
I hesitated for a second, wondering if this was some elaborate prank. But curiosity got the best of me.
I stepped inside, and there they were. Monica and my dad, standing side by side, both grinning widely.
“Surprise!” Monica shouted, throwing her arms up like this was the happiest moment of her life.
![The entrance to a salon | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/f4094dc063cba8c0b75d4f055b6c59412441d94fea834c7995029140467ecf3d.png)
The entrance to a salon | Source: Midjourney
I just stared at them, completely lost.
“What is this?”
Monica stepped aside, and that’s when I saw it — a shiny, brand-new sign mounted on the wall.
Dream Cuts: A Scholarship Fund in Honor of Sarah
I blinked, feeling like the room was tilting on its axis.
![A hair salon | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/3b69722b40c1f4d954f677bab3b4122f53601d7daeb5f593e43d082ad266bbe2.png)
A hair salon | Source: Midjourney
“What… what is this?”
Monica smiled, but it wasn’t her usual smug grin. This one was softer, almost real.
“We didn’t use your college fund, kiddo. It’s all still there. The salon? It’s not just for me. It’s for you, too. For other kids like you, too.”
I couldn’t breathe.
![A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/62b862653a2f2784bd6bd7ffc65d86855b7b4f7f27beb6974ff66ce8fd620495.png)
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
“But then, why would you make me think otherwise?” I asked.
Monica winced, putting her hand on her head.
“Yeah, so, the urn thing… That was not my best idea. I thought it’d be motivational, like, bury the past and embrace the future. You know? But it turns out that it was just creepy.”
![A woman with her hand on her head | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/f4f87621a38b01a706c748f857a175198512e5be3a02c9c25e415f89ab9cba51.png)
A woman with her hand on her head | Source: Midjourney
I stared at her, speechless.
My dad stepped forward, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.
“We’ve been planning this for months, Lila,” he said. “Your mom always wanted to help kids get to college. This salon is going to fund scholarships. For you and for others in her name.”
“The salon has been my dream, Lila,” Monica said. “But it was never going to come at your expense. This way, a great portion of all our profits in the future will go to the fund.”
![A smiling man | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/46ed10e7f6dd5e764b794f732e13c75fb5fe5a54bbc87bc195f1c6d098270036.png)
A smiling man | Source: Midjourney
I didn’t know what to say.
Or what to think.
Just that I felt a warm haze take over me.
Monica laughed softly.
“I’m not a monster, darling,” she said. “I just didn’t want you to think that I was trying to take over your mom’s role.”
![A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/d6fe6a943a1e88328c9cb289ccae20ed1cebb8e1e82e30d8e84cd8a485543fe8.png)
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
For the first time in a long time, I smiled.
It wasn’t perfect, but things with Monica probably never would be. But, at that moment, standing in the middle of a salon named for my mom’s dream, I realized that she wasn’t trying to ruin my life.
She was trying to build something bigger than any of us.
![A smiling teenage girl | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/a7b30d104cb34ccfaae110d075a319db3891dfaca2cf3a1a59f36cb8a64ace58.png)
A smiling teenage girl | Source: Midjourney
And somehow, against all odds, it felt like a new beginning.
And yeah, I kept the urn. But I planted white peace lilies in it, thinking it would be symbolic after all. And who knows, maybe I’ll take the urn to college.
What would you have done?
![Peace lilies planted into a pink funerary urn | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/b67b170a46018a20c7c6f619dd019133c8c04cbe0347661bd7da462e9d56d376.png)
Peace lilies planted into a pink funerary urn | Source: Midjourney
If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you |
I Transferred $24K to My Daughter for Her College Tuition, Only to Discover She Never Enrolled — What She Spent It On Made Me Pale
Caroline had been saving for her daughter’s college fund since Angela was born. But after a classmate of Angela’s reveals that Angela is not actually enrolled in college, Caroline must uncover what her daughter is doing and what she used the money for.
Children are always going to break your heart. This was something that I learned the hard way after trusting my daughter, Angela, completely.
![A close-up of a smiling girl | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/18d296d7355199d299b6d13fc63e33ba8691886d338b0451fb3ae692a06fddd0.png)
A close-up of a smiling girl | Source: Midjourney
Since Angela was born, I have been saving for college. I needed to know that irrespective of what life threw my way, I would be able to educate my child.
“I think you can wait until she’s a little older,” my husband, Holden, said. “We can do it together.”
“You can add to her college fund later,” I said, looking at my baby girl. “But I’m going to start from next month. I wasn’t able to study, Holden. And it was because we didn’t have the opportunity to do so. Angela is going to get that opportunity.”
![A smiling baby girl | Source: Midjourney](https://cdn.amomama.com/6a622233c7f431d8b19c6eb1c8ae00716a605288dea1d11d8259df3b2b53814d.png)
A smiling baby girl | Source: Midjourney
“Okay, Caroline,” my husband said. “You start it now, and I’ll add to it in a year. The house will be paid off, and I’ll be able to put that money into the fund.”
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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