After a man passed away, the will he left behind set his two daughters against each other. One inherited the family home they had grown up in, while the other received nothing more than a dirty dish.
John was a proud father to two daughters, Helen and Julia. They were the center of his world, but since Julia resembled his late wife more, he naturally favored her a little more.
When Julia was born, Helen was already a teenager. In fact, John and his wife had almost lost hope of having another child before Julia arrived. Her birth made them dote on her even more.
They showered her with love, attention, and the best of everything they could provide, leaving Helen, once the recipient of all their affection, feeling overlooked and neglected.
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When Helen turned 18, her mother passed away, leaving John to manage the responsibilities of raising the girls on his own. It wasn’t an easy task, and eventually, he asked Helen to take a job as a dishwasher to help support the family.
At first, Helen resented the idea, questioning her father’s reasoning. “Why do I have to do this? I don’t see anyone else doing it—everyone else is going off to college,” she said, frustration clear in her voice.
“You’re 18 now, Helen,” her father replied, his tone firm but weary. “You’ve grown up, and it’s time to learn how to contribute, to be useful to others.”
“You mean to you and Julia,” Helen shot back, her voice bitter as she walked away.
Their relationship became strained as they clashed over this issue repeatedly, but eventually, Helen agreed to work. However, her feelings of resentment toward Julia only deepened.
Helen began to see Julia as spoiled and ungrateful, which created an ongoing tension between the two sisters. They fought often, mostly because Julia refused to help out or take on any responsibilities, and the divide only grew wider as they got older.
During their teenage years, Julia was all about parties and living carefree, while Helen was already used to working hard to support their home. She started as a dishwasher, then worked her way up to kitchen assistant, and eventually became a cook.
As time passed, Helen let go of the jealousy she once felt toward Julia. She had longed to enjoy life the way her younger sister did, but maturity taught her there was more to life than just fun and parties.
Helen tried to warn Julia about her reckless lifestyle, but Julia dismissed her, seeing her advice as nothing more than bitterness or envy. With John doting on his “miracle child,” Helen had no one to support her, and eventually, she stopped making an effort to reach out to Julia.
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But everything shifted when John passed away. His lawyer read the will to the two daughters, and the result was nothing short of a shock, particularly for Helen.
In the will, John left Julia the family home, while Helen inherited an old, grimy dish. Helen briefly thought about contesting the will but decided that her 21-year-old sister might need the house more.
Instead, Helen approached Julia with some advice about her future and the inheritance. “You should sell the house and use the money for college. I never got the chance, but you can,” she suggested.
“Why are you interfering in my life? You’ve always acted like you’re superior, but I guess Dad didn’t agree,” Julia shot back coldly.
Helen didn’t give up immediately and tried to reason with her. “Julia, I really think you should think about what I’m saying,” she urged, hoping to help, but Julia wasn’t interested in hearing it.
With a mocking tone, Julia snapped, “I don’t need your advice, and even if I did, it wouldn’t come from someone like you—a mere cook.”
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Feeling disheartened, Helen decided to let Julia manage her own life. The following week, she learned that her sister had sold the family home and moved into an expensive apartment in the city.
“Good luck, sister,” Helen muttered to herself when she heard the news.
Months passed, and Helen was thriving on her own. Then one day, while tidying her modest apartment, she stumbled upon the dish her father had left her in his will.
Thinking it shouldn’t go to waste, Helen cleaned the dish and placed it in her cupboard, saving it for special occasions.
One day, when hosting a small gathering with friends, Helen served her guests using the dish her father had left her. One of the guests, a historian, immediately noticed it and did a double-take.
The historian pointed it out to Helen, who was initially skeptical. The next day, they took the dish to an antique shop, where it was confirmed to be from the Chinese dynasty and valued at an astonishing sum.
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The dish, appraised at two million dollars, was a game-changer for Helen. She made the decision to sell it to a collector, and with the newfound wealth, she launched her own restaurant business. Over the next few years, it grew into a success, becoming a staple in the community.
Julia, on the other hand, didn’t have the same fortune. She blew through the money from the house sale, spending it on extravagant parties and temporary pleasures. When the funds ran out, she was left with nothing. Soon, she found herself on the streets, homeless and struggling.
One day, with nothing left but hunger and desperation, Julia made her way to a restaurant renowned for providing meals to the homeless. She arrived early, having heard rumors that the owner was especially generous to those who showed up first.
For illustration purposes onlySource: Pexels
For illustration purposes onlySource: Pexels
Imagine Julia’s shock when she reached the front of the line and realized that the compassionate owner everyone had been praising was none other than her sister, Helen.
But true to her caring nature, Helen greeted Julia with open arms. That day, she took her sister home, helped her clean up, and soon after, offered her a job at one of her restaurants. From that moment on, Julia never looked down on Helen again.
What lesson can we take from this?
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This story is inspired by a reader’s experience and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustrative purposes only.
