18-Year-Old Dancer Cuts Parents Out of Her $3M Prize After They Urge Her to Get Rid of Her Baby — Story of the Day

A young woman made the difficult decision to leave her parents' house and cut them off from her $3 million fortune when they pressured her to get rid of her child. Years later, though, things took an unexpected turn when her fate led her back into contact with her parents.

Kate Byrne first discovered the world of dancing when she was merely 4. Her parents had initially put her in dancing classes as a hobby for her, but after just one year of training, her teacher had predicted that she would become an incredible dancer. And she wasn't wrong.

Years later, when Kate was 17, she surprised both the audience and the judges in a dance competition in Germany. As she took the stage, her arms flailed in the skies above her, and she twirled around in a purple backless top and brown skirt, whooping into the happy and sweat-tainted air, leaving the entire audience breathless.

At the end of the competition, Kate was chosen the tournament's champion and received a $3 million prize. Needless to say, her parents were elated and incredibly proud of their daughter. They couldn't stop crying when Kate summoned them to the stage and gave a speech thanking them for their support. But, just a year later, things started to fall apart...

"PREGNANT?! Are you out of your mind, Kate?" her mother, Jade, yelled. "You've got to get rid of that kid!"

"What?" Kate froze in disbelief. "What are you saying, mom? That's my baby; how can you make such a big decision without even asking Justin and me if we want to keep the child?"

"Your mother is totally correct, Kate," her father, Derek, intervened. "You have a bright future ahead of you, as well as a large fortune! Things like a family and children can be obtained later in life. Money and a fulfilling career must be your primary priorities right now!"

"But dad..."

"I don't want to hear a single word, Kate. You're getting rid of that baby, and that's the end of it!" Jade stated. "Don't forget, you have an upcoming tournament in Australia with a million-dollar cash prize! Do you realize how much weight you'll gain after becoming pregnant? It's going to ruin your figure and career! Plus, caring for a newborn while working would be a major inconvenience. I don't want you to do that right now."

"What do you mean by you don't want that, mom? I'm 18, and I can make decisions for myself. Justin has agreed to take care of our child, and that's the end of the story. If you believe you can earn more money off of me, you're mistaken. Now I know why you never liked me dating anyone! You're only interested in the money!" Kate yelled as she returned to her room and slammed the door behind her.

A few minutes later, she returned with a suitcase and left the house, severing all links with her parents. "I've decided not to give you even a single dime of my award money! Live your life blissfully, and I hope we never see each other again!" she remarked as she walked away.

Many years passed. Kate never spoke to her parents again. She had changed her phone number so that they wouldn't be able to reach her and legally barred them from any claim to her $3 million prize money. They had written her a few emails when she first moved out, but she had deleted them all without ever reading them.

She now had a wonderful family, including her 6-year-old daughter Lily and her husband, Justin. She had quit dancing not because of motherhood but because she was exhausted and needed a break -- something that her parents had never allowed her to have during her dance career.

She began working as a dance teacher for a school and had opened two dance academies across the city where women with all body shapes were trained without any prejudice. She had done that keeping in mind her mother's assertion that a woman who gained weight or became pregnant would not have a promising future in a field like dance.

Meanwhile, young Lily, like her, aspired to be a successful dancer one day. "I want to be a beautiful dancer like you, Mommy!" she'd always say.

Justin and Kate enrolled her in dance classes to support her love and admiration for dance, and she began competing in dance competitions at an early age. Fatefully, it was one of these competitions where destiny brought Kate to her parents again.

After Lily exited the stage following her performance, the host announced a special speech for the evening. Imagine Kate's surprise when she learned that her estranged mother was about to deliver the speech. She noticed her father was standing behind her, and he appeared frail and haggard.

"I'm here to deliver a special message to someone," Jade explained, approaching the microphone. "Actually, it's for my daughter, but I am not going to mention her name. The reason for this is that I made a tremendous mistake several years ago. My daughter was pregnant at the time. She wanted to keep the child, but we opposed it. We had a big quarrel, and she left our house. It was all our fault.

"We wanted her to become more famous and bring home more medals and money because she was an outstanding dancer. We were oblivious to her because we were dazzled by her wealth and fame. By God's grace, she has a beautiful family today, a beautiful daughter like her and a caring husband, while we paid for our sins.

"My husband was diagnosed with cancer two months ago, and I'm constantly worried about how I'll live if something horrible happens to him. I'm already feeling really lonely. I couldn't resist coming here after learning that my granddaughter was participating today. My daughter is in the audience today. I want to meet her and ask her forgiveness, but I'm too embarrassed to confront her. All I want to say, honey," she concluded her speech," is that I am sorry. I'm hoping you'll forgive us. Thank you, everyone."

The crowd seemed bewildered. There was a strange murmur, followed by forced applause when the host of the competition thanked Jade for her speech. "Thank you, Mrs. Byrne," she said, clapping, and others followed suit. Meanwhile, Kate sat motionless and teary-eyed.

A week later, Jade was busy preparing lunch on a Sunday afternoon when she heard the doorbell ring. "Yeah, I'm coming," she answered then hastily washed her hands before approaching the door.

However, when she answered it, she couldn't contain her tears. "Hello, I'm here to meet Grandma. Are you my grandmother?" Little Lily inquired in a gentle voice.

"Good afternoon, Lily. Yes, I am your grandmother Jade. What are you doing here by yourself?"

"I came here to give you something," Lily replied, handing an envelope to her. "Mommy told me to give it to you."

As Jade opened the envelope, she found a business card that belonged to Dr. Cameron Gill and a letter. When she began reading the letter, tears escaped her eyes.

"Hi, Mom,

This is Kate. I am sending this letter through Lily because I'm still upset with you and dad, and I don't want to meet you. When I heard that dad was diagnosed with cancer, I spoke with one of Justin's friends who is a doctor. He has helped many cancer patients, and I hope he can help dad too. Don't worry about the money.

Justin and I have already spoken to him and told him we'd handle all the expenses. You will find his business card inside the envelope. Also, I'm sending Lily to your house because I thought you guys might be feeling lonely and would like to spend some time with her. I'll pick her up at 7 p.m. today, and I'll be sending her every weekend. She's a sweet girl, and I have told her not to trouble you. Thanks!"

Jade couldn't stop crying after reading the letter. She welcomed Lily inside, baked a cake for her, played games with her, and when she was leaving, she gave her a box of freshly baked cookies with a note inside it. "Thank you so much, Kate. You are carrying out your responsibilities as a daughter, which we as parents could never do. Thank you so much, and sorry, honey. With love, mom."

All thanks to Kate, her father is doing well with treatment, and Jade is happy that her granddaughter visits her every weekend. However, Kate hasn't been able to let go of the past completely, so she's taking her time before reconciling with them.

What can we learn from this story?

• Time is a great teacher. With time, Jade and Derek realized they shouldn't have preferred money and fame over their daughter.
• Family should always be the first priority. Today, Kate is hesitant to reconcile with her parents, but she acknowledges that they are, after all, her family, and she loves them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a son who mocks his poor mother every day until an ambulance takes her away.

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