Kate always felt like she didn’t belong in her own family. It was as if she were invisible, especially next to her younger sister, Angela. Their mother showered Angela with love and attention, while Kate was left in the shadows. The only person who truly cared for her was her father, George, but even he couldn’t stand up to her mother’s favoritism.
As a child, Kate often heard, “Angela is so beautiful, so smart, such a wonderful girl!” The praise never ended. Meanwhile, no one seemed to notice Kate, no matter how hard she tried.
When it was time for Kate to go to college, her mother crushed her dreams without hesitation. “We can’t afford to waste money on something unnecessary,” she said dismissively. “And besides, you’re not smart enough for college anyway.”
Kate had always been a good student. She had mostly A’s and only a few B’s, but her mother’s cruel words made her feel worthless. So, while Angela was still in high school, Kate had to work long hours to support herself. She lived at home but received no help from her family.
Then, when Angela graduated, everything changed. “Angela will be going to a private college,” their mother announced one evening over dinner. Kate felt her heart drop.
“But… I wanted to go to college, too,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Angela smirked. “You brought this on yourself. If you really wanted to go, you should have studied harder.”
Kate clenched her fists. She knew the truth. It had nothing to do with grades—it was favoritism, plain and simple. Then came the worst blow.
“You’ll help pay for Angela’s tuition,” her mother said, her tone firm. “You have a job, so it’s your duty as her older sister. Besides, you never contribute anything to this family.”
That night, Kate cried until her pillow was soaked with tears. Her father came into her room and sat beside her. He took her hand gently. “I tried to talk to your mother about this. I told her it’s unfair, but you know how she is…” He sighed. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
That was the moment Kate made her decision. She would not stay in that house any longer. She started saving every penny, and as soon as she had enough, she moved out. The apartment she found was tiny, with an old, leaky faucet and floors that creaked, but it was hers. And most importantly, she didn’t have to give a single cent to her mother or Angela.
Her father secretly sent her money whenever he could. It wasn’t much, but it helped. Then, one day, the money stopped coming.
Worried, Kate tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. Instead, she received a message from her mother: “Your father sent you money without my permission. That stops now. You don’t deserve a penny, especially since you refused to help with your sister’s tuition. I’ll be sending you a list of all the money you owe this family.”
That evening, a thick envelope arrived. When Kate opened it, she found pages and pages of statements listing every expense from when she had lived at home. They even charged her for food and utilities. The total amount was staggering.
She realized then that her mother’s greed and control had no limits.
Time passed, and Kate met a man named Tom at work. They fell in love, and she moved in with him, keeping her distance from her family. For a while, she thought she could finally leave the past behind. But on the day of her wedding, she made a decision—she wanted closure. She and Tom went to visit her parents so she could tell them she was cutting ties for good.
When they arrived, Kate immediately felt uneasy. The air in the house was thick with tension. But the moment Tom saw Angela, something changed. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He laughed at everything she said and complimented her endlessly. Kate felt a knot tighten in her stomach.
Trying to ignore it, she turned to her mother. “I just came to tell you—I got married. I have my own family now, and I don’t want anything to do with you anymore.”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t do this to us! Not now!”
Kate frowned. “Why not?”
“Your father had a heart attack. He needs care,” her mother said, her voice sharp. “You’ve always been so selfish!”
Kate felt her breath catch. “Dad had a heart attack? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Her mother crossed her arms. “What does it matter? The important thing is that he needs you now.”
From that day on, Kate visited her father daily. She saw how her mother and Angela controlled everything, spending his money recklessly while he lay weak in bed.
“Why don’t you do something?” she asked him one day.
Her father sighed, looking exhausted. “You know it’s pointless. They won’t stop.”
His health worsened, and eventually, he was hospitalized. Kate had to pay for everything herself because her mother refused to use his own money.
“Stop fussing over him,” her mother said coldly. “If he dies, we get the insurance money.”
Kate could barely believe the words coming out of her mother’s mouth. It made her sick.
One day, while driving to see her father, her phone rang. The number was unknown.
“Is this Kate?” a calm voice asked.
“Yes,” she said, her heart pounding.
“I’m sorry to inform you, but your father has passed away.”
Kate had to pull over as tears blinded her vision. She sobbed until she could hardly breathe. The only person who had ever loved her was gone.
A few days later, she received another call—from her father’s lawyer. “Your father left you $1.5 million.”
Kate was stunned. “That’s impossible. My father didn’t have that kind of money.”
“He saved it in a private account for you. He wanted to make sure you were taken care of.”
That evening, Tom approached her, looking curious. “Did you get anything from your father?”
“No,” she lied.
Tom scoffed. “I knew it. You were never worthy of anything. I don’t want to be with a poor woman. Angela and I have been talking for a while, so I want a divorce.”
He handed her already-signed divorce papers. Without hesitation, she signed them, feeling a strange sense of relief.
Later, she returned to her parents’ house with her lawyer. Angela immediately started shouting. “Father left everything to us!”
Kate smiled. “He left me one and a half million dollars.”
Tom, who was standing nearby, turned pale.
Angela and her mother produced a fake will, but the lawyer quickly caught their lie. “Forgery is a crime,” he said calmly.
Their faces drained of color.
As Kate turned to leave, Tom suddenly fell to his knees. “Please, Kate! I was wrong. Let’s try again!”
She looked down at him, feeling nothing. “I never want to see you again.”
She walked away, never looking back.
She moved to a house by the ocean and opened her own business. She woke up every morning to the sound of waves, feeling truly free for the first time in her life.
Meanwhile, her mother and Angela wasted the last of their money. Angela had twins, and they all lived with their mother, struggling every day.
Kate never spoke to them again. Justice had finally found its way.
