{"id":20286,"date":"2024-10-18T22:40:11","date_gmt":"2024-10-18T20:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/?p=20286"},"modified":"2024-10-18T22:40:11","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T20:40:11","slug":"my-stepmom-gifted-me-a-funerary-urn-for-my-17th-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/?p=20286","title":{"rendered":"My Stepmom Gifted Me a Funerary Urn for My 17th Birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Lila was ready to celebrate her 17th birthday, she received an unexpected and creepy gift from her stepmother: a pink funerary urn. Like the type you keep ashes in? Yes, that\u2019s the one. But that\u2019s not all! Lila learns that her college fund was given to Monica to open her salon. What will Lila do?<\/p>\n

Let me tell you, I\u2019ve been sitting on this one for a few days, just trying to make sense of what went down.<\/p>\n

I always thought my stepmom, Monica, was the worst, though not Disney villain evil. She was the kind of person who talks over you, forgets your birthday, and calls you \u201ckiddo\u201d when you\u2019re practically an adult.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nA smiling teenage girl | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n

But, what she pulled on my 17th birthday? It shattered whatever shaky truce we had.<\/p>\n

At least, that\u2019s what I thought. Turns out, things weren\u2019t exactly what they seemed.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how it all went down.<\/p>\n

My mom, Sarah, died when I was ten, and after that, it was just Dad and me. We were a solid team. The type of team that has pizza for dinner half the week, late-night movies, and this unspoken agreement that we\u2019d always have each other\u2019s backs.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nTwo boxes of pizza on a coffee table | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n

Then came Monica, about three years ago.<\/p>\n

At first, she wasn\u2019t horrible; she was just\u2026 there. Like a stray cat that never leaves, so you have no choice but to adopt it. Monica moved into our house, took over the bathroom with her fifty bottles of face serums and creams, and slowly pushed her way into my dad\u2019s world.<\/p>\n

Monica had big dreams of opening a hair salon, which was fine. I wasn\u2019t against people having dreams. I had my own dreams waiting for me, but she treated me like I was just this annoying piece of furniture that came with the house.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nA woman\u2019s vanity | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n

Honestly, I was counting down the days until I could escape to college.<\/p>\n

Dad had promised me since middle school that there was a college fund waiting for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, sweet girl,\u201d he told me. \u201cYour mom and I put together the fund when you were five. There\u2019s more than enough, and every year on your birthday and Christmas, I add more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nA smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Dad,\u201d I said. \u201cI just want to study and make something of myself, like Mom said.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou only have to worry about your grades, Lila,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll handle the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Naturally, I worked my butt off in school, knowing that in a few years, I\u2019d be out of here.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nA smiling man | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n

College was my golden ticket, and no one \u2014 not even Monica \u2014 would stand in my way.<\/p>\n

At least, that\u2019s what I thought.<\/p>\n

On the morning of my 17th birthday, I came downstairs expecting the usual lukewarm effort. By lukewarm, I mean a sad card, some pancakes, and Monica forgetting my favorite syrup. Dad was at work, so it was just Mon and I.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nA plate of pancakes and a card on a table | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n

She handed me a gift bag, which was already weird because Monica wasn\u2019t exactly the thoughtful or sentimental type.<\/p>\n

\u201cHappy Birthday, kiddo,\u201d she said, flashing one of her tight-lipped smiles.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t expecting much, but I sure as hell wasn\u2019t expecting this.<\/p>\n

I reached inside the bag and pulled out\u2026 an urn.<\/p>\n

A funerary urn.<\/p>\n

You know, the kind that people store ashes in. Cold, heavy, and, well, pink. It was pink.<\/p>\n

I just stared at it, my brain short-circuiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell is this?\u201d I asked, holding the urn like it was cursed.<\/p>\n

Monica leaned against the kitchen counter, smug as ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s symbolic,\u201d she said as if that explained anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cSymbolic of what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Monica\u2019s grin widened.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time to bury your dreams of college, kiddo. Your dad and I talked about this, and we decided to put the college fund to better use.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter use?\u201d I asked, a cold shiver running through me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep. We\u2019re investing it in my hair salon. College is a gamble, Lila. A business? That\u2019s something real, sweetie.\u201d<\/p>\n

She sipped her coffee like she\u2019d just said the most reasonable thing in the world.<\/p>\n

I was frozen in place, trying to make sense of what I\u2019d just heard. Had they really taken my future, everything I\u2019d worked for, and sunk it into Monica\u2019s salon dream?<\/p>\n

\u201cHow could you do this?\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

Monica just smiled, a little too pleased with herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife\u2019s full of disappointments, kiddo. Better get used to it now,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Wow.<\/p>\n

That was it. I was done. I ran upstairs, slamming the door behind me so hard that the walls shook.<\/p>\n

I cried so hard it hurt. What else could I do? Everything I had been holding onto was gone, and the only person I thought I could count on, Dad, had let this happen.<\/p>\n

My mom wanted me to get out and make something of myself. And now? It was all over.<\/p>\n

The next few days were a blur. I didn\u2019t speak to Monica or my dad unless I absolutely had to. Every time I looked at that stupid urn sitting on my desk, my stomach twisted.<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t even bring myself to throw it out. It felt like some kind of morbid evidence. Like proof of the betrayal I didn\u2019t see coming.<\/p>\n

At school, my friends tried to cheer me up.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe she thought it was funny, Lila,\u201d my friend Kira said. \u201cLike, who really knows what Monica is thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd anyway, there\u2019s nothing stopping you from throwing it out! Just do it! Don\u2019t overthink it,\u201d Mel said.<\/p>\n

But still, I couldn\u2019t focus on anything other than the fact that Monica was prancing around, acting like she was the queen of the house, while I sat there with no future.<\/p>\n

Then, a few days later, something strange happened.<\/p>\n

When I got home from school, there was a note on my desk. Not in an envelope, just folded, with my name written in Monica\u2019s messy handwriting.<\/p>\n

Meet me at the salon at 6 P.M. tonight. No questions. Just trust me. -M.<\/p>\n

I almost laughed out loud. Trust her? Yeah, right.<\/p>\n

But something about the note gnawed at me. Maybe it was the fact that I wanted to confront her one last time, tell her exactly what I thought of her.<\/p>\n

Against my better judgment, I decided to go.<\/p>\n

When I got to the salon, the lights were off, and the front door was unlocked.<\/p>\n

I hesitated for a second, wondering if this was some elaborate prank. But curiosity got the best of me.<\/p>\n

I stepped inside, and there they were. Monica and my dad, standing side by side, both grinning widely.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurprise!\u201d Monica shouted, throwing her arms up like this was the happiest moment of her life.<\/p>\n

I just stared at them, completely lost.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Monica stepped aside, and that\u2019s when I saw it \u2014 a shiny, brand-new sign mounted on the wall.<\/p>\n

Dream Cuts: A Scholarship Fund in Honor of Sarah<\/p>\n

I blinked, feeling like the room was tilting on its axis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2026 what is this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Monica smiled, but it wasn\u2019t her usual smug grin. This one was softer, almost real.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t use your college fund, kiddo. It\u2019s all still there. The salon? It\u2019s not just for me. It\u2019s for you, too. For other kids like you, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t breathe.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut then, why would you make me think otherwise?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

Monica winced, putting her hand on her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, so, the urn thing\u2026 That was not my best idea. I thought it\u2019d be motivational, like, bury the past and embrace the future. You know? But it turns out that it was just creepy.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at her, speechless.<\/p>\n

My dad stepped forward, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been planning this for months, Lila,\u201d he said. \u201cYour mom always wanted to help kids get to college. This salon is going to fund scholarships. For you and for others in her name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe salon has been my dream, Lila,\u201d Monica said. \u201cBut it was never going to come at your expense. This way, a great portion of all our profits in the future will go to the fund.\u201d<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know what to say.<\/p>\n

Or what to think.<\/p>\n

Just that I felt a warm haze take over me.<\/p>\n

Monica laughed softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a monster, darling,\u201d she said. \u201cI just didn\u2019t want you to think that I was trying to take over your mom\u2019s role.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time in a long time, I smiled.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t perfect, but things with Monica probably never would be. But, at that moment, standing in the middle of a salon named for my mom\u2019s dream, I realized that she wasn\u2019t trying to ruin my life.<\/p>\n

She was trying to build something bigger than any of us.<\/p>\n

And somehow, against all odds, it felt like a new beginning.<\/p>\n

And yeah, I kept the urn. But I planted white peace lilies in it, thinking it would be symbolic after all. And who knows, maybe I\u2019ll take the urn to college.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Lila was ready to celebrate her 17th birthday, she received an unexpected and creepy gift from her stepmother: a pink funerary urn. Like the type you keep ashes in? Yes, that\u2019s the one. But that\u2019s not all! Lila learns that her college fund was given to Monica to open her salon. What will Lila […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20286"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20293,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20286\/revisions\/20293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}