Kate had always felt like an outsider in her own family. No matter what she did, her mother and younger sister, Angela, always got along perfectly, while she was left in the shadows. After her father passed away, her world turned upside down. Her husband betrayed her with Angela for money, but when things didn’t go as planned, he came crawling back, begging for another chance.
Ever since she was a child, Kate felt like she didn’t belong. Her mother made sure of that.
“Angela is so beautiful, so talented, so intelligent,” her mother would say, beaming with pride. “She’s going to do great things.”
Meanwhile, Kate was just… there. No matter how hard she worked or how well she did in school, she was never praised the way Angela was. Her mother ignored her achievements, always finding some way to downplay them.
The only person who truly loved her was her father, George. But even he couldn’t change things. Her mother always had the final say, manipulating every situation to benefit Angela.
When it was time for Kate to go to college, she thought maybe things would be different. She had good grades—mostly A’s and a few B’s. Surely, her parents would help her just like they would for Angela. But when she brought it up, her mother scoffed.
“We can’t afford to waste money on you,” she said coldly. “You’re not smart enough for college anyway.”
Her words cut deeper than a knife. Kate felt worthless. But she didn’t argue. Instead, she got a job and tried to figure out her own future.
A few years later, when Angela finished high school, Kate overheard her parents talking. They were sending Angela to a private university. Paying for everything.
It felt like the world had shattered beneath her feet.
“You brought this on yourself,” Angela sneered when Kate confronted her. “If you were smarter, maybe they’d have sent you too.”
But Kate knew the truth. Even if Angela had failed all her classes, their parents would have found a way to send her to college. It had never been about intelligence. It was about favoritism.
As if that wasn’t enough, her mother approached her one day, demanding something outrageous.
“You need to pay for Angela’s tuition too,” she said bluntly. “You have a job, so it’s your responsibility. Besides, you never help out with groceries or bills. It’s time you give something back.”
That night, Kate cried for hours. It was as if her heart was breaking into a million pieces. Her father came into her room, looking tired and defeated. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently took her hand.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I tried to reason with your mother, but you know how she is. Once she decides something, there’s no changing her mind.”
That was the moment Kate decided she was done. She saved up enough money and moved out. Her new apartment was tiny—a single bedroom with a leaky faucet and creaky floors—but it was hers.
Most importantly, she didn’t have to give her hard-earned money to her family anymore. For the first time in her life, she felt free.
Her father still tried to help her. From time to time, he sent her money, small amounts that made a difference. But one day, the money stopped coming.
Worried, Kate called him. No answer. Then, she received a message from her mother.
“Your father sent you money without my permission. You don’t deserve it since you refused to pay for Angela’s education. Expect an envelope with all the money you owe us.”
That evening, an envelope arrived. Inside were pages and pages of statements—lists of everything her mother claimed she owed. Rent. Food. Even childhood expenses.
The total amount was absurd.
Her mother had calculated down to the last cent, as if Kate were a stranger instead of her daughter. That was when Kate realized just how deep her mother’s greed ran.
Years passed, and Kate built a life for herself. She met Tom at work, a man who seemed kind and supportive. They moved in together and eventually got married. For a while, she thought she had finally escaped the past.
But when she decided to cut ties with her family for good, she and Tom went to visit them.
From the moment they stepped into her parents’ house, she could feel the tension in the air. And then, something unexpected happened. Tom saw Angela—and it was like Kate disappeared.
He was mesmerized by her, hanging on to every word, complimenting her endlessly. Kate’s stomach twisted in discomfort. Angela always had that effect on men.
Ignoring them, she turned to her mother.
“Mom, I need to talk to you.”
Her mother barely looked up. “What is it now?”
“I got married. I have my own life now. I don’t want anything to do with this family anymore.”
Her mother’s eyes darkened with anger. “You can’t do this! Especially not now!”
“Why not?”
“Your father had a heart attack. He needs care. You’ve always been so selfish!”
Kate’s breath caught in her throat. “Dad had a heart attack? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Her mother shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. But you have to take care of him now.”
Despite everything, Kate visited her father daily, only to discover the horrible truth—her mother and Angela were spending his money without his consent. When she confronted him, he only sighed.
“There’s no point fighting them,” he said. “They’ll do what they want anyway.”
Kate hoped he would recover, but he only got worse. In the end, she had to pay for his hospital bills. Her mother refused, saying, “If he dies, we’ll get insurance money.”
The words made Kate sick. How could someone be so heartless?
One day, as she was driving to the hospital, she got a call.
“Is this Kate?” a calm voice asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry to inform you, but your father has passed away.”
The world around her crumbled. She pulled over, tears streaming down her face. Her father had been the only person who truly loved her, and now he was gone.
Days later, she received another call—this time from her father’s lawyer.
“Your father left you $1.5 million.”
Shock filled her. “That’s impossible. My father didn’t have that kind of money.”
“He opened an account for you when you were born and kept adding to it over the years,” the lawyer explained. “No one knew. He wanted to make sure you’d be taken care of.”
Kate was overwhelmed. Her father had been looking out for her all along.
That evening, Tom approached her. “Did your father leave you anything?”
She hesitated. “No.”
He sneered. “I knew it. You were never worth anything. I don’t want to be with a poor woman anymore. Angela and I have been seeing each other. I want a divorce.”
He handed her the divorce papers. Without hesitation, Kate signed them.
Later, when she confronted her mother and sister with the truth about the inheritance, Angela screamed, “That’s impossible! Everything was supposed to go to us!”
Tom turned pale. “Kate, please—”
But she walked away, leaving them all behind.
She moved to a house by the ocean, started her own business, and built a life filled with peace and happiness.
Her mother and Angela? They wasted all their money within months. Angela had twins, and they all lived with her mother, struggling daily.
Kate never spoke to them again.
Justice had been served.
