I left home at 18 to start my life. I went to college in another state.
When I was 23, Mom got sick, but I never visited: I was busy raising 2 kids and facing my own struggles. Now, 5 years later, she made her will; I’ll get nothing. No house, no savings, not even a keepsake.
Mom said, “You didn’t act like a daughter! You never considered me as family. So, you have no rights!” I just smiled.
What she didn’t know is that I stayed away from her to protect her. I am not the bad daughter she thinks I am. So, I finally told her the truth…
She turned pale when I revealed that I was critically ill at the same time she was. I was diagnosed with a serious disease at 23, just 8 days before she fell sick. With 2 children under 3 and a fragile health condition, I could barely manage life, unsure if I would survive.
I was undergoing treatment and in no condition to travel. I feared that if she knew I was also sick, the stress might worsen her illness. So I stayed silent.
Now, 5 years later, my health has stabilized, and Mom is recovering too. I finally visited her—only to be met with the shock of her announcement.
When she learned the truth, she broke down in tears, saying I should never have kept my illness from her.
Still, I don’t know if I can forgive her. Cutting me out of her legacy showed how quickly she judged me without giving me a chance to explain.
Am I being too harsh?
I’m not sure what our relationship will look like from here.