Once upon a time, a woman named Sarah had everything she thought she ever wanted. She married a wealthy man, Mark, who showered her family with gifts. He paid off her sister’s credit card debts and got her brother a high-paying job at a great company.
Her parents adored him, and even in tough times, they always stood by him. But Mark had secrets, and it was only a matter of time before they came to light.
When Sarah had just given birth to their baby girl, Kelly, she discovered that Mark had been unfaithful. Sarah was devastated. She wanted to leave him, to protect her family from the hurt. But her family, including her parents, told her to stay.
“Kelly needs a stable home,” they said. “Think of the future, Sarah. Divorce will only make things harder.”
Sarah listened to them, convinced she should stay. She believed that maybe she couldn’t be the best wife while she was pregnant. Mark promised he would change, and for a while, it seemed like things would get better. But then, when Kelly was about 12 years old, Sarah found out again that Mark had cheated.
This time, Sarah couldn’t ignore it. She decided it was time to leave, even though she knew it wouldn’t be easy. Her family disagreed, and so did Mark’s. They didn’t want the scandal or the loss of his wealth.
Mark hired the best lawyers, and with the help of his family, he won custody of Kelly. Sarah got alimony and a fair settlement, but she lost her daughter. No matter how much she tried, Kelly refused to see her. Her in-laws and Sarah’s own parents told Kelly terrible things about her mom.
They made her believe that Sarah was selfish, a hypocrite who couldn’t forgive her father. As Kelly grew older, she became more and more convinced that her mom was the villain. By the time Kelly was a teenager, she wanted nothing to do with her mother.
It wasn’t until years later that Kelly came to her mother again, but it wasn’t because she missed her. No, Kelly had no money left for college, and she knew her mother could help. Sarah, despite everything, agreed to pay for Kelly’s grad school tuition.
But there was one condition—Kelly had to sign a contract giving up her place as Sarah’s heir in her will. Sarah couldn’t help but feel hurt. She had spent all these years trying to rebuild a relationship with Kelly, but now it felt like her daughter was only interested in her for money.
“I won’t lie,” Sarah said, “It stings to think that my daughter only wants to talk to me because she needs money. But I will help her. I always will.” However, Sarah had made a decision. She had a goddaughter, Laura, who had become more like a daughter to her than Kelly ever had.
Laura had been there for Sarah when things were tough. She had supported Sarah during the darkest times in her life. And now, Sarah wanted Laura to inherit her fortune, not Kelly.
Sarah’s family warned her that this might ruin whatever relationship she had left with Kelly. They said, “You can’t do this, Sarah! Kelly is your daughter! She’ll never forgive you.”
But Sarah knew in her heart that it wasn’t about money. She wanted to be loved for who she was, not just because she could pay for someone’s education or provide an inheritance.
“I want Laura to have everything,” Sarah said. “She’s been there for me when I needed her most. Kelly… she only reached out when she needed something.”
Now, Sarah was faced with a difficult choice. Was it right to leave her entire estate to Laura, her goddaughter, who had become more of a daughter than Kelly ever was?
Or should she have given everything to Kelly, who had only come back into her life when she was broke and needed money for school?
What do you think? Should Sarah have chosen her daughter, even though Kelly only wanted her money? Or was it right for Sarah to give everything to Laura, who had stood by her when no one else did? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
