After my parents went through a really tough divorce, my brother and I ended up living with our mom. I was young, but I understood what was going on, and I could never bring myself to forgive my dad for cheating on her. Because of that, my brother and I went down completely different paths; I distanced myself from our dad as much as humanly possible, while my brother made a consistent effort to maintain a close relationship with him. I always thought that was a bit strange considering everything, but I figured he was just trying to make the best of a difficult situation. Time went on, and, sadly, two years ago, my mom passed away after battling cancer. It was the most difficult experience of my life, and it felt like my whole world was falling apart. What made it even harder was knowing how much she had sacrificed for us. She’d been meticulously saving money for our college educations since we were babies, and the thought of not being able to fulfill her dreams for me just crushed me.
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After the funeral, things were incredibly tense. My brother and I were trying to navigate our grief while simultaneously figuring out how to manage everything Mom had left behind. We knew we needed to start making some big decisions about our futures, but we were both so emotionally drained that it felt impossible to focus. One day, completely out of the blue, my dad showed up at my apartment. I hadn’t seen him in months, and I was immediately on edge. He looked uncomfortable, like he had something important to say but didn’t know how to say it. I braced myself, waiting for whatever bombshell he was about to drop. He finally spoke and what came out of his mouth absolutely shattered my world.
He started by telling me he knew I was in the process of applying to various colleges. I nodded, confirming that I was. Then, he said the words that changed everything: “Stop applying to colleges!” I was completely taken aback. “Why?” I asked, my voice laced with confusion and a hint of fear. What was he possibly getting at? I had worked so hard to get good grades and prepare my applications, and the thought of giving up on my dreams was unbearable. I stared at him, waiting for an explanation, but his expression remained cold and distant. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that something terrible was about to be revealed. I was right.
He hesitated for a moment, avoiding eye contact, and then finally blurted out, “Because I already gave your college fund to your brother.” The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. I felt like I had been punched in the gut. My mind raced, trying to make sense of what he had just said. How could he do that? That money wasn’t his to give away; it was Mom’s hard-earned savings, meant specifically for my education. I was furious, betrayed, and utterly heartbroken all at once. “You couldn’t have! That was Mom’s money, meant for me!” I shouted, my voice trembling with rage. He looked at me with a chilling indifference, his eyes devoid of any remorse. “I could, and I did,” he said coldly. The finality in his tone was like a slap in the face.
I couldn’t understand how he could be so cruel, so heartless. “But why would you do this to me?” I asked, tears welling up in my eyes. I pleaded with him, desperate for some kind of explanation that would make sense of his actions. I wanted to know why he would intentionally sabotage my future, especially after everything Mom had done for me. All of the pain and resentment I had been holding onto for years surged to the surface. The anger was consuming me. What he said next made me see red.
He responded so casually, as if what he had done was completely normal. He said, his voice devoid of emotion, “You weren’t supposed to find out.” I WASN’T SUPPOSED TO FIND OUT?! The audacity! The sheer contempt for my feelings was staggering. It was clear that he had no intention of ever telling me, and he would have happily let me continue applying to colleges, knowing full well that I had no way to pay for them. It was a calculated act of betrayal, designed to keep me in the dark and completely undermine my future. He wanted to steal my dreams.
I’ve cut him out of my life completely. My brother and I are no longer speaking. I have no idea how I will ever afford school. He not only betrayed me, but my mother as well.
