The College Fund Betrayal

My brother and I grew up with Mom after the divorce. She was our anchor, and everything she earned went straight into raising us and preparing us for a future she believed in. For as long as I can remember, she kept a jar labeled “college,” and even when bills were late or groceries were lean, she never touched that fund. Dad was different. He had broken our family when I was young, and his affair with another woman left scars that time never smoothed over. My brother Lucas forgave him, even admired him, but I couldn’t. I pulled away. The man who once read me bedtime stories turned into a stranger I avoided. When Mom passed away two years ago, that grief swallowed me whole. And then, just when I thought I couldn’t hurt more, Dad came back into the picture. He visited, sat me down, and with a chilling calm, said: “Stop applying to colleges.” I blinked at him, confused. “Why?” His voice was cold. “Because I gave your brother your college fund.” The words hit like a slap. My chest tightened. “You couldn’t! That money was Mom’s—she saved it for me!” “I could, and I did,” he… CONTINUE READING…