File photo of a worried woman

Family Betrayal: Can Forgiveness Heal the Pain?

By FG/AME

I’m a 25-year old woman who lives with my family. I live with my father and two siblings. My father was a very wealthy man. He had many properties and businesses he handled.

I’m the first child of my parents. Five years ago, my father told me he would let me take over the companies when I turn 25 because he’s getting old. Last year, an unfortunate thing happened.

My mother was sleeping with my father’s best friend and no one knew about it. My father’s best friend wasn’t as rich as my dad, so I’m wondering why my mother decided to do that to my dad.

She didn’t only cheat on my dad, she planned with the man to take everything my dad worked for. We woke up one day and my mother was nowhere to be found. Also, my dad’s monies were all gone and his properties taken as well.

My dad nearly went mad when he discovered that all his assets had been stolen by his wife and best friend. He gave in to drinking alcohol and gambling. Things became tough for us. He could gamble with the last penny we have at home. He owed a lot of people because of the gambling.

We could barely feed and because of the frustration he’s going through, he didn’t really pay attention to us.

I had to go and look for job, so we could survive and God being so good, I got a job in a real estate company. I worked so hard so my siblings could be okay and happy. Honestly, what our mother did caused us pain. I was left to play the mother and father role.

Few months down the line, I saved some money and rented an apartment for us. Whenever I keep money at home for us to sort out certain things, our dad would take the money and gamble with it. He keeps losing too but I never gave up on him.

I tried my best to speak to him so he could stop. It took me months to help him become the man we knew him to be.

Just as we thought everything was going fine, our mother showed up in my house. I don’t even know how she found out we were staying there.

She came begging my dad and my siblings to forgive her. I was at work at that time when my little brother called that there’s an emergency at home.

I got home and to my surprise, there was my mother. I despise her; we are suffering because of her. I asked her to get out of my house but my mom knelt down begging us to hear her out.

She then told my dad that his best friend convinced her to take all his belongings for them to travel and be together elsewhere.

She said the man lied to her about loving her. I was just confused and didn’t believe what I was hearing. Despite the fact that she is my mother, I hate her and I don’t think I can stand her.

My dad doesn’t know what to do or say to her. Does she deserve forgiveness after everything she did?

Meanwhile, you can watch GhanaWeb TV’s exclusive interview with Arathejay below: