My Stepmom Gifted Me a Funerary Urn for My 17th Birthday

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’s the one. But that’s not all! Lila learns that her college fund was given to Monica to open her salon. What will Lila do?

Let me tell you, I’ve been sitting on this one for a few days, just trying to make sense of what went down.

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 “kiddo” when you’re practically an adult.

A smiling teenage girl | Source: Midjourney

A smiling teenage girl | Source: Midjourney

But, what she pulled on my 17th birthday? It shattered whatever shaky truce we had.

At least, that’s what I thought. Turns out, things weren’t exactly what they seemed.

Here’s how it all went down.

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’d always have each other’s backs.

Two boxes of pizza on a coffee table | Source: Midjourney

Two boxes of pizza on a coffee table | Source: Midjourney

Then came Monica, about three years ago.

At first, she wasn’t horrible; she was just… 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’s world.

Monica had big dreams of opening a hair salon, which was fine. I wasn’t 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.

A woman's vanity | Source: Midjourney

A woman’s vanity | Source: Midjourney

Honestly, I was counting down the days until I could escape to college.

Dad had promised me since middle school that there was a college fund waiting for me.

“Don’t worry, sweet girl,” he told me. “Your mom and I put together the fund when you were five. There’s more than enough, and every year on your birthday and Christmas, I add more.”

A smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney

A smiling little girl | Source: Midjourney

“Thank you, Dad,” I said. “I just want to study and make something of myself, like Mom said.”

“You only have to worry about your grades, Lila,” he said. “I’ll handle the rest.”

Naturally, I worked my butt off in school, knowing that in a few years, I’d be out of here.

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

College was my golden ticket, and no one — not even Monica — would stand in my way.

At least, that’s what I thought.

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.

A plate of pancakes and a card on a table | Source: Midjourney

A plate of pancakes and a card on a table | Source: Midjourney

She handed me a gift bag, which was already weird because Monica wasn’t exactly the thoughtful or sentimental type.

“Happy Birthday, kiddo,” she said, flashing one of her tight-lipped smiles.

I wasn’t expecting much, but I sure as hell wasn’t expecting this.

I reached inside the bag and pulled out… an urn.

A shocked teenage girl | Source: Midjourney

A shocked teenage girl | Source: Midjourney

A funerary urn.

You know, the kind that people store ashes in. Cold, heavy, and, well, pink. It was pink.

I just stared at it, my brain short-circuiting.

“What the hell is this?” I asked, holding the urn like it was cursed.

A pink funerary urn | Source: Midjourney

A pink funerary urn | Source: Midjourney

Monica leaned against the kitchen counter, smug as ever.

“It’s symbolic,” she said as if that explained anything.

“Symbolic of what?”

Monica’s grin widened.

A smiling woman in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney

A smiling woman in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney

“It’s 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.”

“Better use?” I asked, a cold shiver running through me.

“Yep. We’re investing it in my hair salon. College is a gamble, Lila. A business? That’s something real, sweetie.”

A hair salon being renovated | Source: Midjourney

A hair salon being renovated | Source: Midjourney

She sipped her coffee like she’d just said the most reasonable thing in the world.

I was frozen in place, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard. Had they really taken my future, everything I’d worked for, and sunk it into Monica’s salon dream?

“How could you do this?” I whispered.

Monica just smiled, a little too pleased with herself.

A shocked teenage girl | Source: Midjourney

A shocked teenage girl | Source: Midjourney

“Life’s full of disappointments, kiddo. Better get used to it now,” she said.

Wow.

That was it. I was done. I ran upstairs, slamming the door behind me so hard that the walls shook.

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.

An upset teenage girl | Source: Midjourney

An upset teenage girl | Source: Midjourney

My mom wanted me to get out and make something of myself. And now? It was all over.

The next few days were a blur. I didn’t 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.

I couldn’t even bring myself to throw it out. It felt like some kind of morbid evidence. Like proof of the betrayal I didn’t see coming.

A pink funerary urn on a desk | Source: Midjourney

A pink funerary urn on a desk | Source: Midjourney

At school, my friends tried to cheer me up.

“Maybe she thought it was funny, Lila,” my friend Kira said. “Like, who really knows what Monica is thinking?”

“And anyway, there’s nothing stopping you from throwing it out! Just do it! Don’t overthink it,” Mel said.

Three teenage girls | Source: Midjourney

Three teenage girls | Source: Midjourney

But still, I couldn’t 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.

Then, a few days later, something strange happened.

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’s messy handwriting.

A woman sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

A woman sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

Meet me at the salon at 6 P.M. tonight. No questions. Just trust me. -M.

I almost laughed out loud. Trust her? Yeah, right.

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.

Against my better judgment, I decided to go.

A note on a table | Source: Midjourney

A note on a table | Source: Midjourney

When I got to the salon, the lights were off, and the front door was unlocked.

I hesitated for a second, wondering if this was some elaborate prank. But curiosity got the best of me.

I stepped inside, and there they were. Monica and my dad, standing side by side, both grinning widely.

“Surprise!” Monica shouted, throwing her arms up like this was the happiest moment of her life.

The entrance to a salon | Source: Midjourney

The entrance to a salon | Source: Midjourney

I just stared at them, completely lost.

“What is this?”

Monica stepped aside, and that’s when I saw it — a shiny, brand-new sign mounted on the wall.

Dream Cuts: A Scholarship Fund in Honor of Sarah

I blinked, feeling like the room was tilting on its axis.

A hair salon | Source: Midjourney

A hair salon | Source: Midjourney

“What… what is this?”

Monica smiled, but it wasn’t her usual smug grin. This one was softer, almost real.

“We didn’t use your college fund, kiddo. It’s all still there. The salon? It’s not just for me. It’s for you, too. For other kids like you, too.”

I couldn’t breathe.

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

“But then, why would you make me think otherwise?” I asked.

Monica winced, putting her hand on her head.

“Yeah, so, the urn thing… That was not my best idea. I thought it’d be motivational, like, bury the past and embrace the future. You know? But it turns out that it was just creepy.”

A woman with her hand on her head | Source: Midjourney

A woman with her hand on her head | Source: Midjourney

I stared at her, speechless.

My dad stepped forward, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

“We’ve been planning this for months, Lila,” he said. “Your mom always wanted to help kids get to college. This salon is going to fund scholarships. For you and for others in her name.”

“The salon has been my dream, Lila,” Monica said. “But 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.”

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

I didn’t know what to say.

Or what to think.

Just that I felt a warm haze take over me.

Monica laughed softly.

“I’m not a monster, darling,” she said. “I just didn’t want you to think that I was trying to take over your mom’s role.”

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

For the first time in a long time, I smiled.

It wasn’t perfect, but things with Monica probably never would be. But, at that moment, standing in the middle of a salon named for my mom’s dream, I realized that she wasn’t trying to ruin my life.

She was trying to build something bigger than any of us.

A smiling teenage girl | Source: Midjourney

A smiling teenage girl | Source: Midjourney

And somehow, against all odds, it felt like a new beginning.

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’ll take the urn to college.

What would you have done?

Peace lilies planted into a pink funerary urn | Source: Midjourney

Peace lilies planted into a pink funerary urn | Source: Midjourney

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you |

I Transferred $24K to My Daughter for Her College Tuition, Only to Discover She Never Enrolled — What She Spent It On Made Me Pale

Caroline had been saving for her daughter’s college fund since Angela was born. But after a classmate of Angela’s reveals that Angela is not actually enrolled in college, Caroline must uncover what her daughter is doing and what she used the money for.

Children are always going to break your heart. This was something that I learned the hard way after trusting my daughter, Angela, completely.

A close-up of a smiling girl | Source: Midjourney

A close-up of a smiling girl | Source: Midjourney

Since Angela was born, I have been saving for college. I needed to know that irrespective of what life threw my way, I would be able to educate my child.

“I think you can wait until she’s a little older,” my husband, Holden, said. “We can do it together.”

“You can add to her college fund later,” I said, looking at my baby girl. “But I’m going to start from next month. I wasn’t able to study, Holden. And it was because we didn’t have the opportunity to do so. Angela is going to get that opportunity.”

A smiling baby girl | Source: Midjourney

A smiling baby girl | Source: Midjourney

“Okay, Caroline,” my husband said. “You start it now, and I’ll add to it in a year. The house will be paid off, and I’ll be able to put that money into the fund.”

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

1 Month Old Twin Brothers Found Dead Alongside Their Mom As Hurricane Helene Rages

A 27-year-old woman had made a final promise to her father to protect her newborn twins from Hurricane Helene’s devastation. She sought refuge in her house with her sons, hoping they’d stay safe, but fate had other plans.

As Hurricane Helene swept through Georgia, it left a trail of destruction and claimed the lives of 33 people. Among them were one-month-old twin boys and their mother, Kobe Williams.

The twins, Khyzier and Khazmir, are the youngest known victims of Hurricane Helene, which had already caused significant devastation across the southeastern United States. Their deaths have become a heartbreaking reminder of the storm’s catastrophic force.

Obie Williams, Kobe’s father, had spoken with his daughter just moments before tragedy struck. As the storm bore down on her home in Thomson, Georgia, Kobe reassured her father that she would follow his advice and take shelter in the bathroom with her infants.

She hoped it would be enough to protect them from the worst of the storm’s wrath. What followed would change the family’s life forever.

Kobe used to call her father daily, but that call was filled with concern on the day of the storm. Obie could hear the winds howling outside his daughter’s trailer and the branches of trees hitting the windows.

The storm had already caused massive destruction, but Kobe promised she’d follow his advice and stay with her babies in the bathroom.

After the call ended, Obie tried to reach out again a few minutes later, but Kobe didn’t answer. That’s when the family realized something was wrong.

It wasn’t until later that day that one of Kobe’s brothers managed to make his way to her home. He had to deal with fallen trees and downed power lines scattered across the roads.

What he found when he arrived was too devastating to put into words. A large tree had crashed through the roof of Kobe’s trailer, landing directly where she had sought shelter with her sons. The impact had crushed Kobe, who then fell on top of her babies. None of them survived.

In an instant, the storm had torn through the Williams family’s lives, leaving them devastated by the loss.

“I’d seen pictures when they were born and pictures every day since, but I hadn’t made it out there yet to meet them,” Obie spoke about his grandsons. “Now I’ll never get to meet my grandsons. It’s devastating.”

Hurricane Helene had already left a wake of destruction as it tore across Florida and continued into Georgia. By the time it reached Thomson, it had grown into a monstrous storm, with strong winds and torrential rain overwhelming the region.

According to Obie, Kobe had told the family that evacuating with her one-month-old babies wasn’t an option. Instead, she stayed in her trailer, hoping she and her babies would stay safe.

But Helene proved too powerful. The storm claimed more than 200 lives across Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and the Carolinas, leaving families devastated and communities torn apart.

Kobe, described by her father as strong, social, and always with a smile, had been well-loved by those who knew her.

Her dream of becoming a nursing assistant had been put on hold when she gave birth to her twins on August 20, but she was determined to continue her education. Now, those dreams have been cruelly cut short.

Obie and his family lived in Augusta, just 30 miles away from Kobe’s home. They found themselves trapped in the neighborhood for over a day after the storm caused devastation. The power lines were downed, utility poles cracked, and fallen trees and debris blocked roads.

As the Williams family prepares for the funeral, the weight of the loss is overwhelming. “That was my baby,” Obie said while talking about his daughter. “And everybody loved her.”

News of Kobe Williams and her twin sons’ tragic deaths has spread across social media, reaching countless people who have expressed their heartbreak over the loss.

Many netizens have shared their grief, reflecting on the devastating circumstances and offering prayers and support to the grieving family.

One commenter shared her raw emotion upon learning of the tragedy, “When I first heard of the deaths of this mom and her infants I broke down and cried!! We all know she was so very scared and was physically protecting her babies! She and her babies are now in the arms of Jesus! Prayers for all of her family as they deal with this loss! ”

Another mother expressed her sorrow, “This is heartbreaking. I can only imagine her panic as a mother myself. Being born and raised with our Texas crazy weather, I have always stayed awake during bad storms because I fear tornados and such.”

A third commenter echoed the sadness felt by many, writing, “That was very hard to read  That poor family. That mama and her babies. Gosh why good people?!”

Hurricane Helene now ranks as one of the deadliest storms to strike the U.S. mainland in the last 70 years, becoming the most lethal storm since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

A week earlier, Helene had made landfall near Perry, Florida, as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of around 140 mph. While its winds weakened as it moved inland, the storm’s torrential rainfall overwhelmed much of the Southeast, affecting an area over 500 miles wide.

As officials evaluate the full scale of destruction, emergency responders have been dispatched to aid the most severely affected and isolated regions. Meanwhile, relief funds are being set up to support the victims.

Authorities have cautioned against sending unsolicited donations or attempting to travel to the disaster zones, urging people to contribute through coordinated channels.

Scroll down to read about another woman who lost her life due to Hurricane Helene.

Hurricane Helene Casualty: School Teacher Set to Retire Dies, Chilling Last Moments Revealed
The death of a beloved teacher who lost her life as a result of Hurricane Helene has shaken the public to its core. Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across U.S. states, making relief efforts challenging.

Donna Fagersten was just a few days shy of retiring when the second-grade teacher lost her life after her hometown of Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, was hit by Hurricane Helene. She was 66 and worked at Ponce De Leon Elementary School in Pinellas County — the barrier island that, reports say, was one of the areas hit hardest by the storm.

Fagersten’s close friends, Mike Moran and Heather Anne Boles, who revealed that the deceased educator had taught for 35 years, provided more context regarding how she died.

The late educator, who had a deep love for teaching children, her two sons, and her cat, lived across the street from Boles’ mom on the water.

Coming up with a safety plan as quickly as they could, Boles, who revealed how her family ended up losing all their possessions due to flooding, and Moran decided to evacuate their home immediately.

“The water came up so fast. It maybe had 10 minutes, if that,” she explained of how fast floodwaters continued to rise on Thursday evening, September 26.

Deciding to ride the storm out with Fagersten at Boles’ mother’s house, Boles, Moran, and their dearly missed friend rushed to their destination, going up to the third floor of the home. However, Fagersten then made a decision that ended up costing her her life.

“[When] it started to calm down, Donna wanted to go over and check on her cat,” revealed Boles. After she left and dangerous levels of storm surge plowed the coastline, a neighbor ran upstairs to alert Boles and Moran that he had seen someone floating in the parking garage. This person was Fagersten.

“[So] they pulled her up to the stairs, and Heather and Wayne started CPR,” recounted Moran of the life-changing moment. The group tried administering CPR for almost an hour before they realized Fagersten’s life could not be saved. At this point, the floodwaters were so high that fire rescue personnel had to come to them by boat.

Naturally, losing someone as close to them as Fagersten was has been devastating to reconcile. Her death is especially heartbreaking because Boles said Fagersten was such an integral part of their community.

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