Amanda’s Revenge — And What Came After
Amanda’s father walked out on her and her mother when Amanda was just a baby. He didn’t even say goodbye. He never sent money, never wrote letters, never came back. Not even when Amanda’s mother got sick. Not even when she died. And Amanda had hated him ever since.
She grew up angry, feeling forgotten. That anger stayed locked inside her like a fire with no place to burn. But all of it came back when she saw his photo in the newspaper one evening—smiling like nothing had ever happened. And standing next to him was a woman named Carla, much younger, wearing a big diamond ring.
They were engaged.
Amanda’s hands clenched the paper so tight, it almost tore in half.
“Of course,” she muttered bitterly. “Of course he moved on.”
That evening, Amanda walked into her small, cozy house—the same house she’d grown up in. She had taken it back after leaving the foster care system. It still smelled faintly of lavender, like her mother’s favorite perfume. Faded family photos lined the hallway. She felt her mom everywhere.
Tired from a long shift at the restaurant, Amanda sighed as she stepped inside. “Oh, I forgot to grab the newspaper,” she said to herself. She bent down and picked it up from the porch, not knowing how much that folded paper would ruin her night.
She put it on the kitchen counter, then made herself a cup of chamomile tea. It was quiet. Just the sound of the kettle and the ticking clock.
When she finally sat down and opened the paper, everything changed.
There he was.
Her father—Robert. Wearing a fancy suit, standing beside a young blonde woman in a white dress. Below the photo: Robert H. Jennings to wed Clara Moore this spring.
Amanda froze.
Her tea turned cold in her hand. Her fingers brushed the tiny silver stud in her ear—the one her mother had given her on her twelfth birthday. The last birthday they had spent together.
She whispered to herself, “Betrayal isn’t new to you.”
That night, Amanda couldn’t sleep. Her heart ached. Her mind raced.
He had left them with nothing. Her mom had gotten sick, struggled to keep a roof over their heads, and still, Robert never came back. Amanda ended up in foster homes, moving from place to place, treated like a burden.
And now he got to be happy?
A fire burned in her chest.
She needed him to feel something. Pain. Guilt. Betrayal. Anything close to what she had lived with for years.
So she made a plan.
The next morning, Amanda dressed in dark clothes and drove across town to a neighborhood that looked like it belonged in a movie—huge houses, flower beds, trimmed lawns. Her stomach turned as she pulled up to a house with a black gate and white stone walls.
His house.
She parked a block away and walked quietly, hiding behind a thick oak tree across the street.
Then the door opened.
Robert stepped out in a neat button-down shirt, looking polished and important. Right behind him came Carla—the woman from the newspaper. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking to her car.
Amanda turned away.
She couldn’t stand to see him smile. He didn’t deserve it.
Once they drove off, Amanda slipped from behind the tree and crept up to the house. She scanned every window, looking for a way in. Most were shut, but then she saw it—a window on the second floor was open just enough.
She smirked. “Climbing trees as a kid finally pays off.”
Like a shadow, she pulled herself up, using the side railing and a vine-covered pipe. Her heart pounded, but she moved with purpose. Within minutes, Amanda was inside.
The bedroom was spotless. Tidy bed. Beige curtains. Framed photos. It was his space. Her heart thudded as she walked over to the bed and pulled back the perfectly folded sheets.
With shaking hands, she took off her silver earring—the one her mother had given her—and placed it right on the bed.
It wasn’t just a piece of jewelry. It was a trap. One that would make Carla doubt everything about Robert.
Amanda slipped back out the window and hid nearby. She waited, watching.
A little while later, Carla returned.
Then Robert’s car pulled up. He smiled as he walked inside, holding groceries. Amanda’s blood boiled.
So normal. So happy. Let’s ruin that, shall we?
She walked up to the house and rang the doorbell.
Carla answered. She looked confused.
“Yes? Can I help you?”
Amanda put on her best innocent face. “Hi… I’m here to see Robert. Are you his maid?”
Carla raised an eyebrow. “His maid? I’m his fiancée.”
Amanda widened her eyes dramatically. “Fiancée? What?! He told me I was the only one!”
Carla looked stunned. “Excuse me?”
At that moment, Robert came to the door. His smile vanished the second he saw Amanda.
“Who are you?” he snapped.
“Oh, come on,” Amanda said, pretending to be heartbroken. “You know exactly who I am. You knew me real well just a few hours ago, remember?”
Carla’s face dropped. “What is she talking about?”
“She’s lying,” Robert said quickly. “I don’t even know her!”
Amanda looked at Carla with sad eyes. “Look, I don’t want to cause problems. I just need my earring. I must’ve dropped it here earlier. It belonged to my mom. Please, I just want it back.”
Carla stared at Robert.
He stammered. “She’s making this up! I swear!”
But Carla stepped aside. “Let her check.”
Amanda smiled sweetly and walked into the bedroom.
She picked up the earring from the bed. “Here it is.”
Carla gasped. “How did it get in our bed?!” she shouted.
Robert turned pale. “Wait—No—This is a setup!”
Carla’s voice was sharp and angry. “You lied to me! Cheated on me! We’re done! I’m calling off this wedding!”
Amanda turned and walked out, feeling the weight lift off her chest. He finally knows what betrayal feels like.
She whispered to herself, “Finally,” and smiled.
A week later, Amanda was wiping down tables at the restaurant where she worked when she heard her coworkers gossiping.
“Oh my God, the wedding was insane!” one said.
“Yeah, they spent millions!” another added.
Amanda’s ears perked up.
“Whose wedding?” she asked casually.
“You didn’t hear?” said Stacey. “That rich businessman, Robert Jennings! He and his fiancée Carla had the most extravagant wedding ever!”
Amanda blinked. “Wait… they still got married?”
“Of course!” Sarah laughed. “It was in all the papers!”
Amanda’s stomach turned.
She faked a laugh. “Wow… who spends that much on a wedding, right?”
But inside, she felt empty.
Her plan had failed.
And then… she heard her mother’s voice in her head.
“Anger is like a heavy stone, Amanda. You carry it too long, it will break you. Let it go. Forgive.”
Her mother had said that every time Amanda came home from school crying. Forgiveness was her mother’s answer to everything.
That night, Amanda sat alone in her house, staring at the silver earring in her hand. For the first time in years, she wondered: What if hurting him wasn’t the answer? What if I just needed the truth?
Later that week, Amanda stood at Robert’s front door again.
This time, she didn’t hide. She didn’t want revenge.
She wanted answers.
Carla opened the door, eyes wide. “You again? What now?”
Amanda took a deep breath. “I lied last time. I’m not his girlfriend. I’m not crazy.”
“Then what are you?”
“I’m his daughter.”
Carla’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”
“It’s true. I’m Amanda. Robert’s daughter. He left me and my mom a long time ago.”
Before Carla could respond, Robert appeared behind her.
“Leave us alone!” he shouted. “I don’t know what game you’re playing—”
“Dad…” Amanda’s voice cracked. “It’s me. Amanda.”
Robert’s face turned pale.
“…Amanda?” His voice barely held together.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Yes. I needed to know why. Why did you leave us? Why did you never come back?”
There was silence.
Finally, Robert opened the door wider. “Come inside.”
Carla looked uncertain but stepped aside.
Amanda sat down in their living room, holding the earring tightly.
“My mom… she died alone,” Amanda said softly. “After you left, she got sick. I ended up in foster care. It was hell, Dad.”
Robert lowered his head. “I didn’t know.”
“That’s the problem. You didn’t want to know.”
He sighed. “I was ashamed. I was scared. Your mother… she deserved better. I didn’t think I could handle her being sick. I was selfish.”
He looked at Amanda with guilt in his eyes. “I never stopped thinking about you.”
Amanda wiped her tears. “I wanted to destroy your life. I even tried. That earring—I planted it.”
Robert nodded slowly. “I figured.”
“I was just so angry,” she whispered.
“I get it,” he said. “You had every right to be. I failed you. But thank you… for coming back. For giving me this chance.”
Amanda looked at her father, not as the man who left, but as someone broken—someone who made terrible mistakes and lived with the pain.
“I don’t know if I can forget,” she said.
“You don’t have to,” Robert replied. “But maybe… we can start again.”
Amanda gave a small nod.
“Okay. We’ll see.”
And in that moment, something shifted.
For the first time in years, the fire in Amanda’s chest began to cool. Not because everything was fixed—but because the truth had finally been spoken.
And sometimes, that’s where healing begins.
End.
