Sometimes betrayal doesn’t come from enemies but from the very people we sacrifice for. I had spent two years carefully saving every cent for my dad’s knee surgery, determined to give him relief after all he’d endured. But when I went to withdraw the money, only $150 remained. My heart sank. At home, I asked my mom, and with shocking calmness she said, “It’s gone.”
When I pressed her, she admitted she had used it to pay off her debts—debts she’d taken on to maintain a lifestyle we could no longer afford after Dad’s bankruptcy. I felt rage, disbelief, and grief all at once. Years of effort vanished with one careless choice, and worse, it came from the person I trusted most. Now I’m left broken, wondering how to help my dad while carrying this betrayal.
