John and Mary were well known in their neighborhood—not for being kind or generous, but for their old-fashioned beliefs. Everyone knew they treated their children differently, and they made no effort to hide it.
They had two children: Lydia, their eldest daughter, and Junior, their youngest son. From the moment Junior was born, it was clear he was their favorite. In their eyes, boys were more important than girls. While Junior was showered with love, attention, and gifts, Lydia was treated like an afterthought—unless there was work to be done.
One afternoon, Lydia approached her mother hesitantly. “Mom, my last pair of serviceable pants just got ripped. Can I have some money to buy another pair?”
Mary barely glanced at her before shaking her head. “No, you can’t. Your brother just got a new PlayStation console, and it was not cheap. You’ll have to manage.”
Lydia bit her lip in frustration. Later that day, instead of getting her new pants, her mother handed her a pair of scissors. “Cut them at the knees. That way, nobody will know they were ripped.”
Lydia swallowed her anger and did as she was told. This was her life—always expected to make sacrifices while her brother got everything handed to him. As the years passed, things only got worse.
Junior learned quickly from their parents. He saw how they treated Lydia and copied their behavior. He would order her around, treat her like a servant, and if she ever stood up for herself, their parents would take his side. Sometimes, they even punished her to make him feel better after an argument.
One day, an argument between the siblings escalated. Junior’s face twisted in anger as he shouted, “I hate you, Lydia! I wish I was the only child!”
Lydia had had enough. She crossed her arms and glared at him. “I wish that was the case too, Junior. Then you’d have to clean up your own mess instead of having me do it for you.”
Her words infuriated him even more, but Lydia didn’t care. The only time she felt truly at peace was during the summer when she visited her grandfather. Unlike her parents, he loved her unconditionally.
While Junior attended an expensive, well-funded music camp every summer, Lydia was simply dropped off at her grandfather’s house. Her parents refused to spend the same amount of money on her as they did on Junior, but Lydia didn’t mind. Staying with her grandfather was the only time she felt valued.
One summer, after her visit, her parents forgot to pick her up. Days passed, and they never called to check on her. Hurt, Lydia finally made a decision.
She called them and said, “Dad, Mom, I want to stay with Grandpa for a little longer.”
She expected them to object, maybe even show a little concern. But instead, her mother sounded relieved. “That’s great news, Lydia!”
Her father chimed in, “We can have your remaining things delivered by tomorrow!”
Lydia felt her heart break. It was clear they didn’t care. But she knew living with her grandfather was better for her.
From that day on, her parents barely called. At first, they spoke twice a month. Then, only once. By the time Lydia left for college, their contact had dwindled to almost nothing.
Years later, Lydia graduated and returned to the city. She needed a place to stay while searching for a job, so she called her parents, hoping to stay in her old room.
But her mother quickly shot her down. “Lydia, your room was turned into Junior’s music room. Your brother is going to be a big deal! We all have to make sacrifices for his future.”
Lydia hung up, feeling completely abandoned. Not long after, tragedy struck—her grandfather passed away.
Her parents didn’t even attend the funeral. Alone and heartbroken, Lydia stayed in his house, mourning.
One afternoon, there was a knock at the door. A notary stood outside, holding a briefcase. “Miss Lydia, your grandfather left you something in his will.”
To her shock, he had saved a considerable amount of money and left everything to her.
For the first time in her life, Lydia was financially secure. Word of her inheritance spread quickly, and it wasn’t long before her parents contacted her.
“Lydia! How have you been?” her father asked, his voice dripping with fake warmth.
Her mother didn’t bother with pleasantries. “We heard about your inheritance. Junior is moving to college, and he needs a new apartment. Be a good sister and send money for it.”
Lydia’s heart pounded in her chest. “That’s why you called?” she asked coldly.
“Of course! Why else would we call? You’re obviously doing fine,” her mother replied without hesitation.
That was it. Lydia finally saw them for who they truly were. She refused their request and severed all ties with them.
Years passed, and Lydia built a successful life for herself. Then, out of nowhere, her parents called again.
She answered, already knowing they weren’t calling out of love. “What do you want?” she asked.
Her mother’s voice trembled. “Lydia, please… your brother stole a huge amount of money from the family safe and disappeared! We have nothing left!”
Lydia sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. Part of her wanted to ignore them, but another part of her knew she couldn’t let them starve.
“I’ll send you some money,” she said. “But this is the last time. I forgive you, but don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. You made your choices, and now you have to live with them.”
Her parents sobbed in gratitude, but Lydia knew they had finally learned their lesson.
What did we learn from this story?
- Never play favorites with children. John and Mary’s favoritism led to their son growing up selfish and ungrateful, causing them pain in the end.
- Karma always comes around. They ignored their daughter, and in the end, she was the only one left who could help them.
- Forgiveness is powerful. Lydia chose the higher road. She helped them, but she never forgot how they treated her. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting—it means choosing peace over resentment.
In the end, Lydia moved on with her life, knowing she was strong, independent, and finally free from the past.
