Father’s funeral, My husband changed the lock of the house which I inherited. he: if you don’t like!

The Breaking of Bonds

I reminded her of all the sacrifices I had made and the hardships we had endured together. However, her response stunned me.

She revealed that her father and his new partner—the woman who contributed to our family’s breakdown—had already met with her future in-laws. She emphasized that the present was all that mattered to her.

I harshly expressed my disappointment for the first time. Shockingly, she retorted with a bitter proposal.

“If I wished to remove her from my life, I should reimburse her for the costs of raising her.”

This exchange escalated quickly. She stormed out of my home, declaring us strangers.

Devastated by this rupture, I questioned the point of saving for her wedding. I noted a different name printed on the invitation where mine should have been.

A New Chapter for Myself

Two years later, I received distressing news that my father had passed away. His death hit me hard, bringing a painful realization of my shortcomings as a daughter.

I inherited a modest condo where he had lived. Realizing I still had the money saved for the unused wedding, I decided it was time to start living for myself.

I pondered the realization that trusting and sacrificing everything for one child might not be the most fulfilling path. It dawned on me that I should prioritize my desires and needs before it was too late.

A real estate broker and close friend encouraged me to consider what I truly wanted to do. This conversation sparked a desire within me to break free from the conventional mold.

I embarked on a journey into the real estate business, studying auction bidding and using my savings and inheritance. To my surprise, I became the owner of a building in a prime location almost overnight.

The Unexpected Visitor

Eight months later, after returning from a mountain climbing adventure, I settled into my home on the top floor. One evening, there was a knock at the door.

There stood my daughter, visibly pregnant and holding a toddler. Tears streamed down her face as she explained the turmoil in her life.

Her husband had become violent and unfaithful. Needing to care for her young daughter and on the verge of giving birth, she sought refuge with me.

She admitted she had come not just for shelter, but because she had heard of my success and needed financial help. She hinted at a claim to the wedding savings and my inheritance.

“I was the one who saved for your education and your wedding. You once told me to get out of your life; now do I owe you money after all that?”

I confronted her about our past. I told her she never paid back any of the money I spent, and it seemed that in front of money, the bond between parent and child had no value.

“Now that I have money, you think you don’t need a daughter, right? But no matter what, I am still your daughter,”

she replied.

A Final Farewell

Understanding her vulnerability, I grappled with the tangled emotions of love and disappointment. But as I faced her, her words stung again.

“I have a right to your money too. I thought my success was because of your sacrifices and I was proud to attribute my Harvard Education to your efforts but now I see that perhaps it was all in vain. Maybe you were too busy making a living that you didn’t teach me how to be a decent human being. I’ve become selfish thinking only of myself. You’re refusing to give me a penny suggesting I should return to my husband or go to my wonderful father. How could you be so cruel? His new wife ran off with all his money and he’s disappeared trying to find her. If you abandon me I’ll be like an orphan. I have a child and another on the way. How could you turn your back on us? Would you be happy if something terrible happened to me?”

Her outburst overwhelmed me. In that heated moment, I couldn’t tolerate her behavior any longer.

Pulling out all the cash I had, I threw it at her. I told her to take the money but never to come back, as I could not have her walking in and out of my life as she pleased.

“Your life is important and now so is mine. You cannot manipulate me based on your needs.”

I coldly asked my daughter and her child to leave. It pained me, but her selfishness and the echoes of past grievances were too much to bear.

My daughter, too proud to face her actions, never came to see me again. I was left to reflect on the personal growth I had vowed to pursue for myself.

Lessons in Happiness

I was deeply disappointed to realize that despite erasing me from her life, my daughter didn’t find the happiness she sought. It left me wondering why both my husband and my daughter ended up making the choices they did.

Now I see that the only person truly living the life I envisioned for myself is me alone. This experience has taught me a valuable lesson.

No matter how strong your relationships may be, it’s crucial to prioritize your well-being first. In a world where betrayal can come from any corner, the one person who should never betray you is yourself.

Ultimately, happiness comes not from the sacrifices you make for others, but from the efforts you make to fulfill your own life. My story may seem like a tale of a life only half-lived, but I am committed to filling the rest of it with joys that are solely for me.