My Friend Talked Trash about My Daughter, So I Made Her Regret It
When lifelong friends Eleanor and Lucy clash over a shocking revelation about their children’s secret relationship, their Monday gatherings take a tense turn. As buried insecurities and long-held grudges surface, their bond faces the ultimate test of loyalty and forgiveness.
Each Monday, we gather at my house with my friends of 55 years, finally resting and chatting after babysitting our grandkids. This week, it was just Lucy and me, savoring the peace.
Eleanor and Lucy drink tea | Source: Midjourney
Suddenly, Lucy burst out, “I’m mad as hell! I’ve been trying to introduce my Barney to that nurse for a year. My dear son decided to do everything on his own. Can you imagine, I found this rag at his apartment?!”
I nearly choked on my tea. I knew those clothes! Lucy waved a red silk shirt and a headband.
Eleanor nearly spits her tea out | Source: Midjourney
“Who wears this? A woman of easy virtue? Oh, God, some girl from the streets has ensnared my son!”
I felt dizzy. Those were 100% my daughter’s clothes! That gorgeous red silk shirt and headband were a gift from me.
The red skirt | Source: Midjourney
“She doesn’t deserve my son. Period. And be sure, I’ll get rid of her!” Lucy declared.
While Lucy was plotting her next move, I created my own plan to teach her a lesson for insulting my daughter.
Lucy judges the girl | Source: Midjourney
“Lucy, maybe there’s an explanation. Barney’s a grown man, after all,” I said.
Lucy huffed. “Explanation? My Barney has poor taste in women, clearly!”
“Don’t you think you’re being harsh? You don’t know her,” I challenged.
Eleanor tries to soften Lucy | Source: Midjourney
“Harsh? Protecting my son isn’t harsh!” she snapped.
“Lucy, you’re jumping to conclusions,” I argued. “You don’t even know who she is.”
“I don’t need to know her! Look at these clothes. They scream trouble,” Lucy insisted.
Lucy doesn’t believe Eleanor | Source: Midjourney
I took a deep breath. “Lucy, let’s not make hasty judgments. Maybe she’s not what you think.”
Lucy glared at me. “Why are you defending her? You don’t know her either.”
“Because everyone deserves a chance. Even if she’s not what you envisioned for Barney, he must see something in her,” I reasoned.
Eleanor calms Lucy down | Source: Midjourney
Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not convinced. But for now, I’ll play along. I’ll talk to Barney.”
I nodded. “That’s all I’m asking. Just keep an open mind.”
Lucy sighed, “Fine, but if she hurts my son, I won’t stand by and watch.”
Lucy remains judgemental | Source: Midjourney
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” I replied.
We sat in tense silence, each of us lost in thought. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
Eleanor talks to her daughter | Source: Midjourney
That evening, after everyone had left, I sat down with my daughter, Emily, in the living room. The warmth of the evening sun filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow on her face.
“Emily,” I began gently, “can we talk about something?”
She looked up from her book, curiosity in her eyes. “Sure, Mom. What’s up?”
Eleanor timidly asks who is her daughter’s partner | Source: Midjourney
I took a deep breath. “I need to ask you about who you’re dating.”
Emily blushed, a shy smile playing on her lips. “Oh, Mom, I didn’t want to say anything yet, but… I’m dating Barney.”
I nodded, trying to keep my voice steady. “Lucy’s son, Barney?”
Emily admits to dating Barney | Source: Midjourney
She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, he’s wonderful, Mom. We’ve been seeing each other for a few months now.”
I reached over and took her hand. “Emily, you know Lucy is one of my oldest friends. Things got a bit tense today because she didn’t know it was you.”
Eleanor listens to Emily | Source: Midjourney
Emily’s smile faded a little. “I was worried about that. Barney and I weren’t sure how to tell you and Lucy.”
“Well, it’s out in the open now,” I said, squeezing her hand. “I want you to know that I support you, but this might be a bit tricky to navigate.”
Emily and Barney | Source: Midjourney
Emily nodded, looking relieved but also a bit apprehensive. “I understand, Mom. I really care about Barney, and I hope you and Lucy can work things out.”
“We’ll find a way,” I assured her. “Just be honest with each other and patient with us. We’ll figure it out together.”
Eleanor hugs Emily | Source: Midjourney
Emily hugged me tightly. “Thank you, Mom. That means a lot.”
As I held her, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of worry and hope. This was just the beginning of a new chapter for all of us.
Hopeful Eleanor | Source: Midjourney
The next time Lucy asked about the huge discount from my daughter, who is a dentist and has been treating her teeth for several years, I was ready.
“Eleanor,” Lucy began, “could you please ask your daughter to give me the usual discount for my dental treatment?”
Lucy came to ask for a discount | Source: Midjourney
I looked her straight in the eye and said, “Well, Lucy, a woman of easy virtue, unfortunately, doesn’t deserve to cure your teeth anymore.”
The room fell silent as my words hung in the air. Lucy’s face turned pale. She finally got it and couldn’t believe it was my daughter she had been talking about. She stammered, trying to find the right words.
Eleanor refuses to provide benefits | Source: Midjourney
“I… I’m so sorry, Eleanor. I didn’t know. I was wrong. Of course, I accept her, and I apologize.”
“Lucy, I hope this teaches you to think before you speak. My daughter is a wonderful person, and she deserves respect.”
Lucy nodded, tears forming in her eyes. “I understand, Eleanor. I’ll never speak ill of her again. Please forgive me.”
I nodded, my heart softening just a bit. “I appreciate that, Lucy. Let’s move forward with kindness and understanding.”
Remorseful Lucy | Source: Midjourney
And with that, our group resumed our usual chatter, but there was a new sense of respect and caution in the air. Lucy had learned her lesson, and my daughter’s honor was restored.
My Mom Told Me Not to Visit for 3 Months Due to ‘Renovations’ — When I Decided to Surprise Her, I Discovered the Gory Truth She Was Hiding
For three months, Mia’s mom insisted she stay away while her house was being renovated. But something didn’t sit right. When Mia arrives unannounced, she finds the door unlocked, the house eerily pristine, and a strange smell in the air. Mia is about to stumble upon a devastating secret.
The city was just waking up as I drove through its empty streets. Early morning light painted everything in soft hues, but I couldn’t shake this gnawing feeling in my gut. Something was wrong.
A woman driving | Source: Midjourney
I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white. Mom’s voice echoed in my head as my memory replayed all those hurried phone calls and weird excuses. “Oh, honey, I can’t have you over. The house is a mess with all these renovations.”
But three months without seeing her? That wasn’t like us. We used to be thick as thieves, her and me.
I worried about what had changed as I waited at an intersection. Mom had always been house-proud, constantly tweaking and updating our home. But this felt different.
An intersection | Source: Pexels
Her voice on the phone lately… she always sounded so tired. Sad, even. And every time I’d try to press her on it, she’d brush me off. “Don’t worry about me, Mia. How’s that big project at work going? Have you gotten that promotion yet?”
I knew she was keeping something from me, and I’d let it slide for far too long.
A woman driving | Source: Midjourney
So here I was, way too early on a Saturday morning, driving across town because I couldn’t shake this feeling that something was terribly wrong.
As I pulled up to Mom’s house, my heart sank. The garden, usually Mom’s pride and joy, was overgrown and neglected. Weeds poked through the flower beds, and the rosebushes looked like they hadn’t seen pruning shears in months.
“What the hell?” I muttered. I killed the engine and rushed to the gate.
A woman walking up a front path | Source: Midjourney
I walked up to the front door, my footsteps echoing in the quiet morning. When I tried the handle, it turned easily. Unlocked. That wasn’t like Mom at all.
Fear prickled across my skin as I stepped inside. There was no dust, or building materials in sight. No sign of a drop cloth or any paint cans either. And what was that smell? Sharp and citrusy. The place was too clean, too sterile. Like a hospital.
“Mom?” I called out.
No answer.
A woman standing in a hallway | Source: Midjourney
My eyes swept the entryway, landing on a familiar photo on the side table. It was us at the beach when I was maybe seven or eight. I was grinning at the camera, gap-toothed and sunburned, while Mom hugged me from behind, laughing.
The glass was smudged with fingerprints, mostly over my face. That was weird. Mom was always wiping things down, keeping everything spotless. But this… it looked like someone had been touching the photo a lot, almost frantically.
A chill ran down my spine.
A woman holding a framed photo | Source: Midjourney
“Mom?” I called again, louder this time. “You here?”
That’s when I heard it. A faint creaking came from upstairs.
My heart raced as I climbed the stairs. The quiet felt heavy, pressing in on me from all sides. I tried to steady my breathing as I walked down the hallway toward Mom’s room.
“Mom?” My voice came out as a whisper now. “It’s me. It’s Mia.”
I pushed open her bedroom door, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis.
A bedroom door | Source: Unsplash
There she was, struggling to sit up in bed. But this… this couldn’t be my mother. The woman before me was frail and gaunt, her skin sallow against the white sheets. And her hair… oh God, her beautiful hair was gone, replaced by a scarf wrapped around her head.
“Mia?” Her voice was weak, barely above a whisper. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”
I stood frozen in the doorway, my mind refusing to process what I was seeing.
A woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney
“Mom? What… what happened to you?”
She looked at me with those familiar brown eyes, now sunken in her pale face. “Oh, honey,” she sighed. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.”
I stumbled to her bedside, dropping to my knees. “Find out what? Mom, please, tell me what’s going on.”
She reached out a thin hand, and I clasped it in both of mine. It felt so fragile, like a bird’s bones.
“I have cancer, Mia,” she said softly.
People holding hands | Source: Pexels
Time stopped and my world narrowed down to how dry her lips looked as she spoke and the hollow feeling in my chest. I couldn’t breathe.
“… undergoing chemotherapy for the past few months,” she finished.
“Cancer? But… but why didn’t you tell me? Why did you keep this from me?”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I didn’t want to burden you, sweetheart. You’ve been working so hard for that promotion. I thought… I thought I could handle this on my own.”
A woman sitting in bed | Source: Midjourney
Anger flared up inside me, hot and sudden. “Handle it on your own? Mom, I’m your daughter! I should have been here! I should have known!”
“Mia, please,” she pleaded. “I was trying to protect you. I didn’t want you to see me like this, so weak and…”
“Protect me?” I cut her off, my voice rising as tears blurred my vision. “By lying to me? By keeping me away when you needed me most? How could you do that?”
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
Mom’s face crumpled, and she started to cry, too. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I’m so sorry, Mia. I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn’t want to be a burden.”
I climbed onto the bed beside her, careful not to jostle her too much, and pulled her into my arms.
“Oh, Mom,” I whispered. “You could never be a burden to me. Never.”
We sat there for a long time, just holding each other and crying. All the fear and pain of the past few months came pouring out.
A sad woman | Source: Midjourney
When we finally calmed down, I helped Mom get more comfortable, propping her up with pillows. Then I went downstairs and made us both some tea, my mind reeling with everything I’d learned.
Back in her room, I perched on the edge of the bed, handing her a steaming mug. “So,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Tell me everything. From the beginning.”
And she did. She told me about the diagnosis, the shock, and the fear. How she’d started treatment right away, hoping to beat it before I even knew something was wrong.
A woman lying in bed | Source: Midjourney
“But it spread so fast,” she said, her voice trembling. “By the time I realized how bad it was, I was already so sick.”
I took her hand again, squeezing gently. “Mom, don’t you get it? I love you. All of you. Even the sick parts, even the scared parts. Especially those parts. That’s what family is for.”
She looked at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of love and regret. “I just… I’ve always been the strong one, you know? Your rock. I didn’t know how to be anything else.”
A woman glancing to one side | Source: Midjourney
I smiled through my tears. “Well, now it’s my turn to be the rock. I’m not going anywhere, Mom. We’re in this together, okay?”
She nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Okay.”
I moved back in with Mom later that week. I also took time off work and called in every favor I could to get Mom the best care possible, even if all we could do was keep her as comfortable as possible.
We spent her final days together, sharing stories and memories, laughing and crying together. And when the end came, I was right there beside her.
A woman lying beside her mother | Source: Midjourney
“I’m sorry, Mia,” she whispered. “I wanted… I never took you to Disneyland… I promised to take you camping in the mountains… so many promises I’ve broken…”
“It’s not important.” I moved closer to her on the bed. “What matters is that you were always there for me when I needed you. You always knew how to make me smile when I was sad, or make everything better when I messed something up.” I sniffed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you, Mom.”
Her eyes cracked open, and she smiled faintly at me.
Close up of a woman’s eyes | Source: Midjourney
“You’re going to be okay, Mia. You’re so strong… my amazing daughter. I love you so much.”
I put my arms around her and hugged her as tightly as I dared. I’m not sure exactly when she slipped away, but when I eventually pulled back, Mom was gone.
I stayed there for a long time, trying to hold onto the warmth of our last hug as sobs racked my body, replaying her last words in my mind. Trying to keep her with me, no matter how impossible that was.
A woman grieving | Source: Midjourney
Saying goodbye to Mom was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I wouldn’t trade those moments I spent with her for anything in the world.
Because in the end, that’s what love is. It’s showing up, even when it’s hard. It’s being there, even in the darkest moments. It’s holding on tight and never letting go.
Here’s another story: My name is Larissa, and I’m just a regular woman trying to keep up with the demands of life. Between work and everything else, I sometimes forget to slow down and focus on what really matters. But nothing could have prepared me for the day I returned to my childhood home, only to find it reduced to rubble and my mother missing.
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.
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