I kicked my grandparents, who raised me, out of my graduation — Karma quickly taught me a lesson
My name is Sarah and my story began with tragedy. When I was two years old, my mother died in a car accident and my father abandoned us. My grandparents took me in. They became my whole world. They loved me and supported me in everything. Thanks to them, I just graduated from high school and got into a great university.
Graduation day was going to be perfect. I couldn’t wait for my grandparents to see me receive my diploma. I was so excited.
Graduation party | Source: Pexels
“This is for you, grandparents,” I thought as I put on my cap and gown. I couldn’t wait to see the proud look on my grandparents’ faces when I walked across the stage. They had given me everything.
Suddenly, I heard someone calling my name. “Sarah?”
I turned around and saw a man I didn’t recognize. He had a kind face, but he looked a little exhausted. “Yes, it’s me,” I said cautiously.
Blue-eyed man looks into the camera | Source: Pexels
He smiled, his eyes sad. “It’s me, your father.”
I felt my breath catch. “My father? No, my father abandoned me when I was two.”
His face fell. “No, that’s not true. I’ve been looking for you all these years. Your grandparents hid you from me.” The man opened his wallet and showed me a childhood photo of me with a young man I knew as my father. It was the only photo of him I had ever seen.
Young man with his little daughter | Source: Pexels
My mind spun. “What? They said you had abandoned me.”
She pulled out her phone and showed me text messages. Angry, hurtful words from my grandmother. “They told me to stay away, Sarah. They never wanted me around.”
Tears filled my eyes. Could it be true? Had my grandparents lied to me?
“Why would they do that?” I whispered, feeling a mix of anger and confusion.
Shocked Sarah looks at her father | Source: Midjourney
“I don’t know, Sarah. But I’m here now. I’ve always wanted to be a part of your life,” he said softly.
I saw my grandparents sitting in the audience, smiling and waving at me. My emotions were running high. I couldn’t believe they had lied to me for so long. I marched toward them, rage boiling inside me.
“Go away,” I said out loud, my voice shaking with rage.
Sarah screams at her grandparents | Source: Midjourney
Grandma’s smile faded. “Sarah, what’s wrong?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears.
“Leave now!” I shouted, my voice echoing down the hallway. People turned to look.
The grandfather stood up slowly, his face pale. “Sarah, please talk to us. What’s going on?”
“You lied to me! You’ve kept my father away from me all these years. Go away!” I insisted.
Sarah angry but determined | Source: Midjourney
My father came up to me and put a hand on my shoulder. “Thank you, Sarah. I know this is hard.”
“Why did they lie?” I asked, with tears in my eyes.
“I don’t know, but we can talk about it,” she said sweetly. “Let’s get over today first.”
Later, I sat across from my father in a quiet corner of the café, my coffee cooling in front of me. I studied him, trying to reconcile the man before me with the stories my grandparents had told me.
Cup of coffee in a cafe | Source: Pexels
“So,” I began, my voice shaking slightly, “tell me everything. Start at the beginning.”
He sighed and took a sip of his coffee. “It’s a long story, Sarah. But you deserve to know the truth.”
He paused to gather his thoughts. “When your mother and I first got together, everything was great. We were young and in love. But your grandparents never liked me. They thought I wasn’t good enough for her.”
Sarah’s father | Source: Midjourney
“What do you mean?” I asked, my eyes searching his face for sincerity.
“They always judged me,” he continued, shaking his head. “Your grandfather thought I was a loser because I didn’t have a fancy job. They wanted your mother to marry someone else. When you were born, it got worse.”
My heart ached. “Why didn’t you come back? Why didn’t you try to find me sooner?”
Sad Sarah talks to her father | Source: Midjourney
Silently, he pulled out his phone and showed me old text messages from Grandma. They were filled with anger and demands for him to stay away.
My hands shook as I read them. “I can’t believe they did this.”
“They thought they were protecting you,” he said softly, squeezing my hand. “They didn’t trust me, and I can’t blame them for being angry, but they lied to you. I’ve been trying to get back into your life ever since.”
Handshake | Source: Pexels
Tears filled my eyes. “Why did you come to my graduation?”
“I heard about it from an old friend,” he explained. “I wanted to see you, congratulate you. I thought maybe enough time had passed that you were ready to meet me.”
I nodded slowly, taking in his words.
Sarah nods slowly | Source: Midjourney
“We’ve fallen on hard times,” he said. “My son, your half-brother, is very sick. I need a lot of money for his treatment, and I thought I could borrow at least a thousand dollars from you.”
I looked at him, torn between anger and compassion. “Why didn’t you tell me all this before?”
“I didn’t want to ruin your big day,” she said with a sad smile. “I wanted to wait until we could talk properly.”
Sarah’s father tells his side of the story | Source: Midjourney
I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. “This is a lot to take in.”
“I know,” she said sweetly. “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
I looked out the window, watching the world go by. “I have to talk to my grandparents. There are a lot of things I need to sort out.”
Cafe windows | Source: Pexels
“Of course,” he said, reaching across the table to take my hand. “I’ll be here when you’re ready.”
I squeezed his hand and stood up. “I have to go. But thanks for being honest with me.”
“Thank you for listening to me,” he said, his eyes hopeful.
As I walked out of the coffee shop, I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders. I had a lot to think about and even more to discuss with my grandparents.
Sarah leaves the cafe | Source: Midjourney
I walked into the house with a heavy weight on my shoulders. The graduation party decorations were still up, and the colorful balloons seemed to mock my confusion. My grandparents sat at the kitchen table, talking quietly. Their faces lit up at the sight of me, but the joy quickly faded when they noticed my expression.
“Sarah, what’s wrong?” Grandma asked, her voice worried.
Sarah realizes what she has done | Source: Midjourney
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my shaking hands. “I’m so sorry,” I began, my eyes filling with tears. “I shouldn’t have made you guys stop my graduation. I need to know the truth. Please tell me everything.”
Grandma’s face softened and she took my hand. “Oh, Sarah, we understand. It must have been very confusing for you.”
Grandpa nodded, his eyes sad. “We did what we thought best to protect you. But you deserve to know the whole story.”
Grandma | Source: Midjourney
I sat down, my heart heavy with guilt and curiosity. “Dad said they took him away from me. He showed me messages, Grandma. They were from you.”
Grandma sighed deeply, her eyes filled with pain. “Yes, I sent those messages. Your father… he wasn’t a good man, Sarah. He started drinking and using drugs after you were born. He was drunk when he caused the accident that killed your mother. We didn’t want him to hurt you too.”
Sarah’s grandmother tells her the story | Source: Midjourney
I swallowed hard, trying to process his words. “But he said he’d been sober for years. And he said he needed money for his son’s treatment. Is that true?”
Grandma and Grandpa exchanged a worried glance. “He always knew how to manipulate people,” Grandpa said quietly. “If he’s back, it’s because he wants something.”
I took a deep breath. “I need to know for sure. Do you think we could find out more about his life now?”
Sarah discovers the truth about her father | Source: Midjourney
The grandfather nodded. “We can try. Maybe we can find something on the Internet.”
We all went into the living room and Grandpa opened his laptop. He logged onto Facebook and we started looking for my father. It didn’t take long to find his profile. His profile picture showed him with a woman and a child.
“Is that your new family?” I asked, my heart pounding.
Young family | Source: Pexels
“It seems so,” Grandpa said, clicking on the woman’s profile. Her name was Lisa and her profile was public.
We scanned his messages for any mention of the boy’s illness. My heart ached at the thought of the possibility that my father had lied to me.
“Look at this,” said the grandmother, pointing to a post from a few weeks ago. It was a photo of the boy playing soccer, smiling and healthy.
Boy plays football | Source: Pexels
“He doesn’t look sick,” Grandpa muttered, scrolling further. There were more photos of the boy, all of them showing him active and happy.
Grandma hugged me tightly. “We’re so sorry you had to go through this, Sarah. But we’re glad you know the truth now.”
I nodded, tears streaming down my face. “I’m so sorry I doubted you. I should have trusted you from the start.”
Grandpa put his arm around me. “We forgive you, Sarah. You were just looking for answers.”
Grandpa hugs Sarah | Source: Midjourney
We sat together, the three of us, finding comfort in each other. I knew I had made mistakes, but I also knew they loved me and forgave me. My grandparents had always been there for me, and now, more than ever, I realized how lucky I was to have them.
The next day my father came home, hopeful. “Did you get the money?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No, Dad, I can’t give you money.”
He frowned. “But it’s for your brother’s treatment.”
Sara says goodbye to her father | Source: Midjourney
“I know you lied about that,” I said firmly. “I’ve seen the photos. He’s not sick. You just wanted the money.”
His face turned red with anger. “You’re just like your grandparents,” he snapped. “I should have stayed away.”
“Maybe you should have,” I replied, my voice firm. “I’m sick of your lies.”
Did you enjoy this story? Check out this one , where Christine’s grandparents shockingly cut her off from her inheritance. Unbeknownst to them, it’s all part of Christine’s plan to reunite her family.
This work is inspired by real people and events, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher do not guarantee the accuracy of events or the depiction of characters, and are not responsible for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
