A mother lost custody of her daughter after she decided to divorce her husband because of his cheating. Over the years, the daughter, Kelly, grew to believe her mother was a bad person. She stopped visiting and refused to stay in touch with her.
The mother, despite all the struggles, never gave up on trying to reach out to Kelly. But when Kelly finally came back into her life, it wasn’t for the reason her mother had hoped.
This story began with a woman who thought she had everything—married to a wealthy man, living a life filled with luxury, and receiving help for her entire family. Her husband didn’t just spoil her, he also made life easier for her parents by buying them expensive gifts.
He paid off her sister’s debts and even helped her brother land a high-paying job at a prestigious company. He appeared to be the perfect man, always there for her family, especially during tough times in their marriage.
But things weren’t as perfect as they seemed. Shortly after they had their daughter, Kelly, the woman discovered that her husband had been unfaithful. It was a painful moment, especially with a newborn in her arms. She felt betrayed, vulnerable, and unsure of what to do.
But when she thought about leaving him, her family stepped in to convince her to stay. “Kelly needs to grow up in a stable home with both parents,” they said. “You can’t leave now.”
Her relatives kept telling her that forgiveness was the right thing to do. They even reminded her that she couldn’t be the best wife while she was pregnant, as though her emotional pain wasn’t valid. Reluctantly, she stayed, believing that her family’s advice was right. She forgave him and hoped things would get better.
But things didn’t improve. When Kelly was 12, her husband cheated on her again. This time, she had enough. She was ready to end the marriage, but her in-laws were firmly against it.
They didn’t want any public drama, and they didn’t want to lose the man who had been so generous to them. Her parents felt the same, so they encouraged her to stay for the sake of the family’s reputation.
In the end, she decided to file for divorce, but it came at a high price. She lost custody of Kelly, and her husband’s wealth meant he could afford the best lawyers to fight for their daughter. With the support of his family, he won.
The woman got a fair settlement, including alimony, but losing Kelly was the hardest part. She tried to keep in touch, visiting her daughter whenever she could, but Kelly saw her mother as the villain.
Her in-laws, as well as the woman’s own parents, told Kelly that her mother was a hypocrite, refusing to forgive her dad even though he’d apologized. As Kelly grew into a teenager, her feelings toward her mother grew colder. She stopped seeing her altogether, believing everything her relatives had told her.
Years passed, and the woman never gave up on trying to reconnect with Kelly. She even agreed to pay for Kelly’s graduate school, but on one condition: Kelly had to sign a contract stating that she would no longer be her mother’s heir.
The woman wanted her daughter to prove that she wasn’t just seeking her money, but that she truly wanted a relationship with her.
Despite the promise of support, things didn’t go smoothly for Kelly. Her father, once wealthy, lost his job and faced legal trouble. But rather than changing his extravagant lifestyle, he spent all his money, including Kelly’s college funds.
That’s when Kelly realized she was running out of options. With no money left for school, she turned to her mother, asking for help.
“I won’t lie,” the woman said. “It stung to know that the only reason Kelly came back was because she needed money.” But despite her hurt feelings, the woman agreed to help her daughter with her tuition, on the condition that she would no longer be her heir.
But there was something even more surprising in the woman’s will. She had made another decision: she wanted her goddaughter, Laura, to inherit most of her estate. Laura was the daughter of Tina, Kelly’s best friend, and over the years, Laura had become more like a daughter to her than Kelly had.
The woman’s bond with Laura had grown deeper, and she felt she had been more of a daughter to her than her own flesh and blood.
The woman’s relatives were shocked by her choice. They worried that leaving everything to Laura would ruin her relationship with Kelly forever. But the woman felt strongly about her decision. She didn’t want to feel like her relationship with Kelly was shallow and based solely on money.
Was the woman right to leave her fortune to Laura, the goddaughter she had come to love like her own? Or should she have given everything to Kelly, the daughter who only came back into her life when she had no money left for college?
What do you think? Was the mother’s choice fair? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
