When I lost my mom to breast cancer at ten, my world changed forever. She wasn’t just my mother—she was my safe place, my best friend, and the one person who truly understood me. In her final days, she held my hand and said, “Don’t let anyone dim your light, Iris.” That promise stayed with me through everything that came after.
She left behind a trust fund, something she hoped would secure my future in her absence. It wasn’t just financial support—it was her final act of love and protection.
But life got complicated. My dad remarried, and with his new family came new dynamics. Slowly, I felt like I was fading into the background. The trust fund, meant to help me one day, began shrinking—used for things I hadn’t agreed to, things that weren’t for me.
I tried to understand. I told myself that maybe there were good reasons. But when I overheard a conversation about a new car that had been bought using that money, I knew I had to take action.
I called my grandma, who had always been my second home. Her voice was steady and kind, like my mom’s used to be. “Your mother left you that for a reason,” she reminded me. “It’s time to stand up for yourself.”
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