Let me tell you—this story is wild, and you won’t believe what happened!
First, a bit of background. I’m Emily, 17, and a senior in high school. I live with my dad, my stepmom Carla, and her son, Mason. Despite everything, Mason and I get along like siblings usually do. But Carla? Well, she can’t stand me, and trust me, the feeling is mutual.
It all started seven years ago when my mom passed away from a cold that wouldn’t go away. Not long after, my dad started dating Carla, and within a year, they were married. I’ll never forget my aunt’s words at the wedding: “Your father didn’t waste any time, did he? And who is Carla anyway? She’s nothing compared to your mom.”
Carla seemed fine at first. She even tried to win me over, but it didn’t take long for the passive-aggressive comments to begin. I remember once, she just stared at me and said, “You look too much like your mother, Emily. It actually pains me to look at you.” She’d add digs like, “No wonder your father gives Mason more attention.” I tried to brush it off, but it stung. My dad? Clueless, of course. He didn’t see how Carla really treated me, and Carla loved that. She could say whatever she wanted with zero consequences.
Fast forward to prom season. Like any other girl, I was dreaming of the perfect night. I had saved up my babysitting money for months and finally bought a gorgeous violet dress—my mom’s favorite color. I had also booked a hair appointment at a fancy salon, where all my friends were getting their hair done too. Everything was set for my magical night… until Carla decided to ruin it.
The day of prom, I showed up at the salon, excited and ready. But the receptionist looked confused when I arrived. “Emily? I thought you canceled your appointment,” she said. I froze. Canceled? I didn’t cancel anything.
Just then, the hairdresser came over and explained that she had received a call earlier that day, supposedly from my “mom,” canceling my appointment. My heart sank, and that’s when I saw her—Carla—sitting there, getting her own hair done, with a smirk on her face. She had canceled my appointment to ruin my day.
Desperate, I asked the stylist if she could fit me in anyway, but there were no openings left. I walked out of the salon in a daze, devastated. My perfect prom night was unraveling before my eyes, and by the time I got home, I was in tears, locked in my room, trying and failing to do my own hair. It looked awful, and I felt defeated. I didn’t even want to go to prom anymore.
But just when I thought the night was ruined, I heard loud honking outside. At first, I ignored it, thinking it was just a car passing by. But it didn’t stop, so I dragged myself to the window—and my jaw dropped. A sleek black limousine was parked in front of our house. Was this for me?
I ran downstairs just as the driver stepped out and asked for “Miss Emily.” My dad, confused, handed me a small card. Inside, in neat handwriting, it read: To my beautiful sister, Emily. I know you’ve had a rough time, but you deserve the best night ever! Enjoy the limo, and don’t worry about a thing. Love, Mason.
Mason? My 11-year-old stepbrother had planned all of this! He overheard Carla canceling my hair appointment, so he took matters into his own hands. Using money Carla had stashed away for a fancy necklace she wanted, Mason rented the limo and even arranged for a neighbor’s daughter—who worked as a stylist—to come over and do my hair and makeup.
Twenty minutes later, I went from crying in my room to looking like a princess. I couldn’t believe Mason had done all of this for me. When Carla pulled into the driveway and saw me stepping into the limo, her face turned red with shock. She had no idea how Mason had outsmarted her, and I wished I had a picture of her expression to hang on my mirror!
Prom turned out to be everything I had hoped for. When I arrived at the venue in the limo, heads turned, and I felt like a star. For the first time in a long while, I felt my mom’s presence with me, and the night was pure magic. As for Carla, I hope she learned her lesson—you can’t mess with someone’s happiness and expect to get away with it, especially when their little brother is there to save the day!
Doctors Dismiss 8-Year-Old’s Pain as a Toothache—You Won’t Believe What They Missed
Sometimes, children find it hard to express their feelings. This means parents need to be more aware of what their child needs. These parents did just that, but sadly, it was beyond their control.
At the dentist, they found that he had some swelling in his teeth, likely due to a tooth infection. But instead of getting better, the swelling continued to grow.
When nothing seemed to help and his swelling got worse, his parents quickly took their upset child to a hospital. There, they received heartbreaking news: he had tumors on his brain and spine.
What was believed to be a tooth infection turned out to be a rare type of cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma. This cancer is so rare that it affects only about 55 children in the UK each year.
The first signs of this diagnosis are swelling or lumps that can appear on the body.
“Our world fell apart,” said Ethan’s father, Mark, in an interview.
Doctors discovered that Ethan’s cancer had spread to his lungs and bone marrow. They decided to start a strong treatment plan that included chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
But after nine months of treatment, Ethan passed away at just 9 years old.
After his death, his parents were very upset and called the treatment methods used for their son “embarrassing” and outdated. The grieving parents started a fundraiser in Ethan’s name to help support research.
Mark, Ethan’s father, described the treatment methods as “embarrassing” and said they are very outdated. They set a goal of $62,000 for their fundraiser, and about half of that has already been raised.
“We don’t want other families to go through what we’ve experienced; it’s terrible,” said Ethan’s family.
After his death, the issue of funding research on childhood cancer has been discussed in parliament, which is an important step toward ensuring more money is directed to this area.
If you found this story interesting, check out the one below about a three-year-old who passed away after dental procedures.
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