I’ll never forget the day my stepmother Tracy told me the shocking truth: she had taken $5,000 from my college fund to buy teeth for herself as a vanity project. Her need to look good had gotten out of hand, but karma was about to punish her.
Back when I was 17, I worked hard to add to my late mother’s small college fund. My dad and I had been working hard to add to it, but Tracy’s selfish action made it all risky.
Tracy’s obsession with how she looked was crazy. She spent hours getting ready, making sure all of her hair was in place and her nails were perfect. When she told me she was getting teeth, I was shocked and disgusted.
I felt cheated when Tracy told me she had taken the money from my fund. The fact that she didn’t seem to care and said that my dad had approved the loan made things worse. I was sure my dad would never let that happen.
After Tracy had her dental work done, the results were nothing less than amazing. She was happy to show off her new smile at a neighbourhood barbecue, but it didn’t last long. When she bit into the corn on the cob, one of her veneers broke, showing her decaying tooth.
It was easy to feel the shame. Tracy tried to hide her smile, but it only made people notice it more. When she learnt that fixing the damage would take even more expensive dental work, she went from being embarrassed to being hopeless.
Now it was their turn. My dad, who used to be quiet, finally spoke out against Tracy and told her to pay back my college fund. The woman who used to show off her fake smile now hid behind closed doors because her image was hurt.
As word got out, Tracy shut herself off from everyone. On the other hand, I felt like I was right. My dad kept his word to put money back into my college fund, and I learnt a very important lesson: real beauty comes from the inside, and some things are worth more than money.
When I think about it now, Tracy’s tooth disaster was actually a good thing. It showed what kind of person she really was and brought my dad and I closer. Justice can show up in strange ways, and a broken front can be the best teacher of all.
