Lily, 17, is heartbroken when her stepmom, Karen, secretly cancels her flight on Christmas. Fate has other plans. An ironic series of circumstances leaves Karen stranded, humiliated, and exposed for her scheme, making her Christmas anything but joyful.<\/p>\n
Last Christmas was supposed to be amazing. Life isn\u2019t always fairy tale, right? Especially with a stepmom who barely tolerates you.<\/p>\n
Let me, seventeen-year-old Lily, share my Christmas turmoil. After a peaceful divorce, my dad married Karen two years ago. We didn\u2019t bond as much as he wanted.<\/p>\n
Karen made it apparent I didn\u2019t match her beautiful mixed family dream from the day she entered my life.<\/p>\n
\u201cLily\u2019s too much like her mother, Tom,\u201d she said. What did you think? That we\u2019d instantaneously bond and be the perfect mother-daughter pair? She\u2019s stubborn at heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was right.<\/p>\n
I lived a little apartment twelve hours from my dad since then. Karen got me to leave despite his objections. She wanted me gone.<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t mad. I lived closer to my mom, my new school was better, and my dad\u2019s aunt owned the building. Clara often brought wonderful casseroles and pastries.<\/p>\n
My monthly payments from my parents and my part-time job at a hairdresser kept me afloat. Living my best life.<\/p>\n
Dad invited me to Christmas with them, giving me hope. I didn\u2019t want to spend the holidays alone while Mom was at a meditation retreat in Nepal.<\/p>\n
I booked my travel early because driving 12 hours seemed awful. Gifts were wrapped and packed. I added a bottle of my dad\u2019s favorite bourbon.<\/p>\n
\u201cLily, why am I buying you bourbon?\u201d Aunt Clara raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Dad! Christmas gift, promise! Being underage prevents me from getting it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yes, she bought it and wrapped it in thick kraft paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere,\u201d she entered my apartment. The bottle should be unopened when you get to your dad\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Leaving a dish of cookies, she giggled and went.<\/p>\n
After waiting for Christmas, Karen arrived at my house saying she was on a work trip and needed a place to stay.<\/p>\n
\u201cLily,\u201d she replied, bringing her luggage in. \u201cI need a few-day spot. Business, not vacation. Continue studying or whatever. Keep the coffee machine full, and I\u2019ll do the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was odd for her to crash at my little one-bedroom. What might I do? Say no and anger Dad?<\/p>\n
Pass.<\/p>\n
I reluctantly let her stay.<\/p>\n
Karen started off weirdly lovely. Her admiration of my holiday decor was surprising considering she typically mocked it.<\/p>\n
On the second night, Karen offered to cook dinner, shocking me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be back from my meeting soon,\u201d she added. Dinner\u2019s on me. Would garlic buns and grilled fish sound good?<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds great. Thanks, Karen!\u201d<\/p>\n
I wondered if she was trying to reconcile.<\/p>\n
No, she wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
My Christmas Eve morning was full with anticipation. My flight was in the afternoon, so I checked my bags, put on my coziest sweater, and waited for Clara to drive me to the airport.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee you home?\u201d I asked Karen while lacing my boots.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d she said, staring at her laptop. My flight is tonight. Lock up and bring the keys.\u201d<\/p>\n
I arrived at the airport. Then everything fell apart.<\/p>\n
The airline clerk frowned at her computer as I gave her my ticket.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Miss Carter,\u201d she said. \u201cYour flight canceled.\u201d<\/p>\n
I blinked, confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? Canceled? By airline?\u201d<\/p>\n
She tilted her head to watch the TV.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, ma\u2019am, all flights are on time,\u201d she said. \u201cBut yours was canceled online two days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heart plummeted.<\/p>\n
What the heck?<\/p>\n
Not touched my ticket. No online check-in. Nothing. I called airline assistance and they validated my account as the canceler. A investigator could estimate who used my laptop two days ago.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m devastated.<\/p>\n
At the airport, suffering from the betrayal, my phone buzzed.<\/p>\n
Merry Christmas! Ours will be beautiful without you! Clara has your keys.<\/p>\n
The text slapped. She harmed me. Karen sabotaged me.<\/p>\n
Her \u201ckind\u201d behavior was a Christmas deception to keep me from Dad. Furious, I called my dad but got voicemail.<\/p>\n
Anger and hurt lingered for hours. I could have gone home, but numb. Not knowing what to do.<\/p>\n
My Christmas sucked. However, my phone buzzed again about 9 p.m. Unknown number.<\/p>\n
Your plan worked. Stuck at the bakery. Lily, get me now\u2014it\u2019s cold!<\/p>\n
Karen\u2019s screaming voice filled my thoughts as I stared at the text.<\/p>\n
What plan? I did nothing! I was curious.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m bound. Good luck, Karen. Walk away.<\/p>\n
I returned home.<\/p>\n
Next morning, I pieced together Karen\u2019s terrible night and saw gold in the irony.<\/p>\n
It happened as follows:<\/p>\n
Karen bought Christmas dinner sweets at a nearby bakery after I departed for the airport. Karen parked her rental car illegally in a tow-away zone.<\/p>\n
Why me?<\/p>\n
For easier memory, my dad gave us identical phone numbers with one digit difference. Karen only remembered mine, and fate was funny.<\/p>\n
In addition, Karen thought I undermined her by calling the tow business after learning about the canceled flight.<\/p>\n
My dad contacted me after attempting to reach Karen all night. Worry filled his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cLily, shouldn\u2019t you be here?\u201d he asked. \u201cWhere\u2019s Karen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou haven\u2019t heard?\u201d My enjoyment was scarcely concealed. \u201cShe\u2019s probably at the bakery or tow yard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lily, what are you talking about?<\/p>\n
Spilled everything.<\/p>\n
Flight cancellation, Karen\u2019s text, and her situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re joking,\u201d Dad said. \u201cShe canceled your flight?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYep,\u201d I said. \u201cNobody else could have done it. And now she pays.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence followed by a sigh.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cLily, there\u2019s something you need to know. \u201cWeeks ago, Karen said you shouldn\u2019t come for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
She preferred \u2018us.\u2019 I expected her to recover when she visited you for business. I never expected her to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
You knew she didn\u2019t want me there, Dad? I requested.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I could fix it, sweetheart,\u201d he whispered. \u201cI wanted this Christmas to be special for you both. Mom was away, so I had to make it good for you. I doubted Karen would go so far. I ignored it after we spoke.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou thought brushing it off would help?\u201d<\/p>\n
His quiet sufficed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m booking the next flight,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n
Karen looked like life had torn her up when she arrived home hours later after bumming a tow truck ride.<\/p>\n
Karen crawled to my bathroom, cleaned up, and fell asleep on the couch. My dad arrived after his flight when she woke.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou canceled her flight?\u201d he demanded without greeting.<\/p>\n
Karen froze, her face colorless.<\/p>\n
Tom, I asked for family time without\u2026<\/p>\n
Without my daughter? he snapped. \u201cYou tried to break our relationship by ruining her Christmas. Who would do that to a teen? Lily is a child forced to grow up fast by you!\u201d<\/p>\n
Karen stammered, making excuses, but it was too late.<\/p>\n
\u201cPack your bags,\u201d Dad ordered harshly. Enjoy Christmas anywhere you choose. But not here. Staying with my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
For once, Karen was silent. She gathered her belongings and fled, bowing in shame.<\/p>\n
As for me?<\/p>\n
Dad booked our flights home, insisting Karen wouldn\u2019t be there. We had hot chocolate, dessert, and laughed at the absurdity of the celebration.<\/p>\n
And Karen?<\/p>\n
Licking her wounds and facing a large fine, she spent Christmas alone in a hotel.<\/p>\n
Poor luck. Sometimes fate acts fast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lily, 17, is heartbroken when her stepmom, Karen, secretly cancels her flight on Christmas. Fate has other plans. An ironic series of circumstances leaves Karen stranded, humiliated, and exposed for her scheme, making her Christmas anything but joyful. Last Christmas was supposed to be amazing. Life isn\u2019t always fairy tale, right? Especially with a stepmom […]<\/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-30989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30989","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=30989"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30990,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30989\/revisions\/30990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}