After my grandmother’s death, I left my father with nothing. I believe he deserved it. What I did was perfectly right.
My mother and I were 12 years old when my father left. When I went back to school, he was gone. My mother passed away from cancer less than one year later. I was left alone.
That period was quite difficult for me, and it gave me issues I’m still working through. The only thing I’m grateful for is that my grandmother took me in after my mother died.
She showed love and care to me, treating me like a child. She truly was a blessing and a blessing. Life can put you to the ultimate test. It was clear to me when she left for her heavenly home.
After Grandma died, I left my father with nothing.
I saw my father again after several years at granny’s funeral. I was so alone and heartbroken after granny’s death that I didn’t care about what he’d done to us in the past.
I really needed someone’s shoulder to cry on, and I thought dad would at the very least hug and console me. But sadly, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
After my grandmother’s funeral, the lawyer called us to his office and read out grandma’s will. It turned out she’d left everything in my name. It was the worst thing that could have happened to him.
“Are you serious?”Dad stared at the lawyer. “I’m her son. How can she leave everything in her granddaughter’s name? That’s just not possible!”
“Well,” The lawyer said this after a pause. “I told you what was written in the will, sir. Everything belongs to her granddaughter, Beth, now.”
Grandma passed her property to me
Dad looked at me angrily. “I don’t think you need that property, Beth. After all, you’re still young, and you can easily find a job and place for yourself once your college ends. So just transfer everything in my name!”
I couldn’t believe my ears. I never expected it to be the first thing he says to me after not having seen each other for a long time. However, now that I knew the man was greedy and only cared about himself, I decided I wouldn’t hand over the property to him, no matter what.
“No, dad!”I assured him. “If grandma wanted you to have the property, she would have mentioned it in the will. So I’m not going to give it to you!”
Dad gave me a cold look. “Oh my God, Beth, just look at yourself! Is that what your grandmother taught you? That’s how you talk to your dad?”
Dad was furious, and he wanted grandma to have her property.
At that point, I lost all my cool. “I doubt you understand what the term ‘dad’ means. You’ve always been selfish and self-centered. You left me when I was 12, and now you come back just for the inheritance. Leave before I call the cops and report you!”
Dad left after our heated exchange. He continued to harass me, demanding that I hand over the property. He even went around the family accusing me of stealing his mother’s property and depriving him of his right to possess it.
Well, you know how heartless society becomes when you’re alone and have no one to turn to. People don’t want you to tell the truth or believe them, so they make assumptions based on what is first heard. Sadly, that’s exactly what happened to me.
My whole family reached out to me and told me that even though my father abandoned me, filial piety was important because it is what makes me a good girl.
But after what my father did, I didn’t want to be a good daughter to him. I hated him and cut all ties with him. But ten years later, they crossed paths again. This time, however, dad was completely another man.
An unknown number called me while I was driving to work. I usually don’t answer unknown calls, but that day, I decided to answer it. I was stunned by the voice on the other end of the phone.
“It’s me, Beth,” The man spoke. “I hope you don’t hate daddy!”
I hadn’t forgotten anything that man had done in the past. I was furious. “I don’t care what you think. Don’t call me again!”I spoke rudely and was about foregoing the call. But then, I heard a sobbing sound.
“I’m sorry, Beth.”Dad was crying when the call came in. “Please let me meet you once. I have a lot of things to say to you. I know I’ve been a terrible person, but please give me a chance.”
I was ten years after my father called me
“Why should I?”I was furious. “After all, you were the one who abandoned mom and me!”
Dad continued apologizing for whatever he’d done and insisted on seeing me only once. Yes, I was angry at the man, but in the end, my heart melted, and I decided to at least meet him.
We met in a coffee shop the following day. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him. He seemed frail and sick. He looked very different to the man of ten years earlier. “What happened to you?”I was concerned.
“Oh, Beth, I’m so glad to see you,” He exclaimed with a cheerful, low voice.
“I can’t say the same, but I feel you need to take care of yourself. You look very weak!”I added.
Dad smiled at my face. “I guess I deserve it. After all, I left my wife and daughter for a woman who threw me out on the streets once she met a richer man. I lived on the streets initially and then later managed to find a small place to stay. But after staying alone, I realized the importance of family.”
I couldn’t contain my emotions. For some reason, I wasn’t angry at my father anymore. “It’s okay, Dad, you can stay with me if you want,” I told him.
“Thanks, Beth,” dad continued. “But I don’t want to be a burden on you. I just wanted to see you and apologize to you for being such a terrible father.”
I don’t know how you would have reacted in that situation, but I forgave my dad. While I am sorry for what he did, I was glad he had learned from his mistakes. He stayed with Adam and me when I returned home.
Adam and I have two children. My dad is a huge fan of spending time with them. Even the kids are smitten with him, and we’ve grown into a large, happy family.
What can we learn from this tale?
- Family is the most important thing on the planet. Beth’s dad realized that once he was left all alone.
- Time is a great teacher. Time taught Beth’s dad the importance of family.
Tell your friends about this story. This story might inspire and brighten their day.