Amanda’s father had abandoned the family when she was just a baby. She had held a grudge against him her whole life, and her anger flared again when she saw a photo of him with his new fiancée. She wanted revenge. What would Amanda do to teach her father a lesson?
Amanda returned to the quaint house where she had grown up after a long day at work. She was exhausted, and the modest home was her only true sanctuary. It was filled with childhood memories and reminded her of her late mother.
After aging out of foster care, she had claimed the house as her own. It was more than just a building; it was a link to her past and to the love she cherished from her mother.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
“I forgot the newspaper,” she said as she spotted a folded paper near the door. She picked it up and placed it on the kitchen counter before making herself a refreshing cup of tea.
Once ready, Amanda sat at the kitchen table and unfolded the newspaper, expecting to skim through the headlines as usual. But today was different.
The newspaper held something shocking for Amanda. There was a photo of her father, Robert, next to his young fiancée, Clara. It was an announcement of their upcoming wedding.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
Seeing the photograph, the pain of her father’s long-ago abandonment surged back violently. It reminded her of the time he broke his promise to always be there for his wife. He had left her mother when she became ill and never returned.
The pain and rage buried beneath years of grit and determination came bubbling to the surface. Amanda touched the silver earring in her ear, a gift from her mother on one of her birthdays.
“Betrayal is nothing new to you,” Amanda whispered to herself as a plan began to take shape in her mind. Boiling with pain and betrayal, she decided to confront her father.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
Early the next morning, she approached his home—a well-kept property that stood in stark contrast to her humble beginnings. She hid behind a large oak tree, waiting for the right moment.
Soon, the front door opened and her father stepped out. Behind him was the woman from the newspaper, Carla, who quickly gave him a goodbye kiss.
“Oh God,” Amanda whispered, turning away. She couldn’t bear the sight of her father kissing another woman.
She watched as Robert and Carla got into their respective cars and drove off. Once they were gone, Amanda emerged from her hiding spot and scanned the outside of her father’s house. She needed a way in.
“The window!” Amanda whispered when her eyes landed on an open window on the second floor. She had spent much of her childhood climbing trees, so getting into the house through the window was easy.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
In no time, Amanda found herself inside her father’s bedroom. With deliberate movements, she approached the bed, her hands trembling slightly as she disturbed the neatly arranged blankets.
Then, she took off an earring—a simple piece, but one loaded with meaning—and placed it on the bed. Her intent was to plant seeds of doubt and discord. She quickly exited the house through the window and waited for the next step of her plan.
Amanda watched from her hiding place as Carla returned home, her heart pounding with anticipation. A few moments later, her father’s car pulled in and he entered the house, looking pleased with himself. A few minutes passed before Amanda walked to the door and rang the bell.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
“Can I help you?” Carla asked as she opened the door.
“I’m here to see Robert. Are you his maid?” Amanda asked, feigning confusion.
“No, I’m his fiancée,” Carla replied, showing her engagement ring.
“Fiancée? That scoundrel! He told me I was the only woman in his life!” Amanda exclaimed.
Carla, bewildered, denied Amanda’s claims. When Robert appeared, he also denied knowing Amanda, but she insisted: “Oh, but you knew me very well just a few hours ago, didn’t you?”
Carla, now furious, believed Amanda’s lie.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble,” Amanda said. “I only came to get the earring I lost here. It belonged to my mother and means a lot to me.”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
Robert refused to let her in, but Carla allowed Amanda to look for the earring. In a flash, Amanda was upstairs in the bedroom where she had placed it.
“Here it is!” Amanda picked it up from the bed.
“I can’t believe this!” Carla yelled at Robert. “You’re a cheater! How did this earring end up in our bed?”
“What? You can’t be serious!” Robert protested. “She’s lying!”
“You betrayed me and then lied about it!” Carla accused, deciding to call off the wedding and leave.
Amanda apologized and quickly exited the house. She felt satisfied after making her father feel the pain of betrayal.
“Finally,” she thought and let out a sigh of relief as she walked to her car.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
A week later, Amanda was wiping tables at the restaurant where she worked when she overheard her coworkers talking about someone’s big wedding.
“What wedding are you talking about?” she asked.
“Come on, Amanda!” said Stacey, one of Amanda’s coworkers. “You’re not caught up on the news? Haven’t you heard of that businessman, Robert something?”
“He married a woman named Carla. They spent millions on their wedding. It was huge,” added Sarah, another coworker.
“What?” Amanda was shocked but hid her emotions. “I mean… who spends millions on a wedding? That’s insane.”
Even though Amanda acted bothered by the lavish spending, deep down she felt like a failure. She didn’t want Robert to build a new life after what he had done to his wife and to Amanda.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
“Anger is like a heavy stone, Amanda,” her mother’s words echoed in her mind. “You carry it around and it weighs you down. Sometimes, you have to let it go. Sometimes, forgiveness is the only option.”
Whenever Amanda was bullied as a child, her mother would say those words. She always encouraged Amanda to forgive those who hurt her.
Closing her eyes for a moment, Amanda reflected on her actions. She soon realized that causing pain or ruining her father’s relationship wasn’t the answer to her resentment. She needed to face him.
Later that week, Amanda stood in front of Robert’s house, no longer driven by rage but by a newly found curiosity. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
“Why are you here again?” Carla opened the door.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
“I came to talk to Robert,” Amanda said. “I’m not his girlfriend. I lied. I’m… I’m his daughter.”
“What?” Carla raised an eyebrow. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“Who’s at the door, Carla?” Robert asked his wife before walking over.
“Why are you here again? Please just leave us alone!” Robert shouted at Amanda.
“Dad… it’s me,” Amanda said. “I came to—”
“Amanda? Is it really you?”
Amanda’s eyes filled with tears. “Yes, Dad. It’s me.” Her voice broke with emotion. “I just… I needed to know why you left. Why you abandoned Mom and me.”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
Robert’s face softened, a flash of pain crossing his expression.
“Come in, Amanda. Come in.” He led her inside the house, while Carla stood awkwardly at the door.
Once inside, Amanda sat down, tightly clutching the silver earring in her hand.
Read also: Years after her parents’ death, a girl discovers her adoptive mother is actually her biological mother – Story of the Day
“Mom got really sick after you left,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “It was really hard. After she died, I ended up in an orphanage. It wasn’t easy…”
Robert lowered his head, clenching and unclenching his hands.
“I… I didn’t know things were that bad,” he murmured. “I thought you were being taken care of after…”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
“Who did you think was going to take care of us? We had no one. We needed you more than anyone, Dad. Mom needed you,” Amanda said.
The weight of their shared history pressed down on them. Amanda spoke of the anger and confusion she had carried for years, of the bitterness that had festered inside her. She confessed her earlier plan—to destroy his new relationship out of a twisted sense of revenge.
As Amanda poured out her heart, Robert listened intently. Shame and regret etched deep lines into his face.
“I understand your anger, Amanda,” he finally said, his voice hoarse. “There’s no excuse for what I did. It was cowardly to run away.”
He took a deep breath and began to tell his own story. He spoke of the crushing guilt he felt after leaving Amanda’s mother to face her illness alone.
He revealed a period of self-destruction, poor choices, and financial hardship. Rebuilding his business had taken years of relentless work. His shame had kept him from returning—a twisted logic that only deepened his isolation.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
“I never wanted to abandon you,” he said, tears in his eyes. “I’ve regretted my decision every single day. But when I finally could come back, I was afraid. Afraid of rejection, afraid to see the two of you suffering. Please, forgive me, Amanda. Please.”
The enormity of his remorse struck Amanda. His story wasn’t that of a villain, but of an imperfect man paralyzed by fear and guilt. The rage that had consumed her began to fade, replaced by a spark of understanding.
“I guess I forgive you, Dad,” she said, and even she was surprised by her words. “It doesn’t erase what happened, but I can’t carry this anger anymore. It’s too heavy a burden.”
Relief washed over Robert’s face. He reached out and took her hand; the warmth of the touch built a bridge across the years of separation.
“Thank you, Amanda,” he said, his voice full of emotion. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Pexels
Tell us what you think of this story and share it with your friends.
