My Stepmom Gifted Me a Funerary Urn for My 17th Birthday

I always knew my stepmom, Monica, wasn’t exactly the nicest person—annoying, yes, but not evil. She was the type who would talk over me, forget my birthday, and call me “kiddo” even though I was practically an adult.

But what she did on my 17th birthday? It was the final straw.

It all started after my mom, Sarah, passed away when I was ten. After that, it was just me and Dad. We were a team—movie nights, pizza dinners, and a mutual understanding that we had each other’s backs, always.

Then Monica came along about three years ago. She wasn’t the worst, just kind of… there. She moved in, slowly took over the bathroom with her endless beauty products, and managed to inch her way into Dad’s life, whether I liked it or not.

Monica had dreams—big dreams—of opening a hair salon. I didn’t have a problem with people having dreams, but I had my own, too, and she treated me like I was an inconvenience that came with the house.

But I had a plan. College was my way out, and Dad had promised me from the time I was little that there was a college fund waiting for me. “Your mom and I set it up when you were five, Lila,” he’d say. “It’s all there, and I add to it every year.”

So, I worked hard in school, counting down the days until I could leave for college and start a life of my own.

On the morning of my 17th birthday, I wasn’t expecting much. Maybe some pancakes, a card—Dad was at work, so it was just Monica and me. But when Monica handed me a gift bag, things took a weird turn.

Inside the bag was a pink funerary urn. Yes, you read that right. An urn.

I stared at it, completely confused. “What the hell is this?” I asked.

Monica leaned against the kitchen counter, a smug look on her face. “It’s symbolic,” she said as if that explained anything.

“Symbolic of what?” I asked, already feeling a sinking feeling in my stomach.

Monica smiled wider. “It’s time to bury your college dreams, kiddo. Your dad and I decided to put that fund to better use.”

“Better use?” I repeated, my heart racing.

“Yep. We used it to help me open my salon. College is a gamble, Lila. But a business? That’s a real investment.”

I was frozen. Had they really taken my future, my college fund, and sunk it into Monica’s dream? How could my dad have let this happen?

“Life’s full of disappointments,” she added, as if that was supposed to be comforting.

I ran upstairs and slammed my door, sobbing harder than I ever had. Everything I’d worked for, everything my mom had wanted for me, was gone.

For the next few days, I barely spoke to either of them. Monica pranced around like she owned the house while I sat with the urn on my desk, a twisted reminder of what I had lost.

Then, a few days later, something strange happened.

When I got home from school, there was a note on my desk in Monica’s messy handwriting: Meet me at the salon at 6 P.M. tonight. No questions. Just trust me.

I almost laughed. Trust her? After what she did?

But my curiosity got the better of me, and against my better judgment, I went.

When I arrived at the salon, the lights were off, but the door was unlocked. Hesitant, I stepped inside. There, in the middle of the room, were Monica and my dad, both grinning.

“Surprise!” Monica shouted.

I was speechless.

“Look,” Monica said, stepping aside to reveal a shiny new sign on the wall: Dream Cuts: A Scholarship Fund in Honor of Sarah.

“What is this?” I asked, completely lost.

Monica’s smile softened. “We didn’t use your college fund, Lila. It’s all still there. The salon isn’t just for me—it’s for you, too. And for others like you. A portion of the profits will go toward funding scholarships in your mom’s name.”

I blinked, feeling like the ground was shifting beneath my feet.

“But… why make me think otherwise?” I asked, still trying to wrap my head around it.

Monica winced. “Yeah, the urn thing… That was not my best idea. I thought it would be motivational, like burying the past and embracing the future. Turns out, it was just creepy.”

Dad stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. “We’ve been planning this for months. Your mom always wanted to help kids get to college. This way, her dream lives on.”

I stood there, stunned, my anger melting into something softer.

Monica looked at me earnestly. “I’m not trying to replace your mom, Lila. I just want to build something meaningful, something that helps you and others. I know I haven’t been the best stepmom, but I hope this can be a fresh start.”

For the first time in a long time, I smiled.

It wasn’t perfect, and maybe things with Monica never would be. But in that moment, standing in a salon named for my mom, I realized she wasn’t trying to destroy my future—she was trying to honor it in a way I hadn’t expected.

And yeah, I kept the urn. I planted peace lilies in it. Maybe it wasn’t the symbol Monica had intended, but it had become something new. A symbol of hope.

What would you have done in my shoes?

All ladies admired her attractiveness in the 1990s. Claudia Schiffer, 51, how does she appear now?

Many people enviously admire her waistline.

Claudia Schiffer is one of the most well-known German supermodels of the 1990s, and she continues to grow in beauty as she ages. She had been slim since she was a child, thus she was destined for a modeling career. But she didn’t like the way she looked.

Schiffer met a model scout from the Metropolitan Models agency at a party in Dusseldorf one night. He suggested the young woman, who had the potential to make it big in the modeling industry, to travel to Paris.

Claudia had doubts about her own accomplishment for a long time. She suffered from impostor syndrome after her first picture shoot. She believed she was in the wrong place and that she had ended up in the sector by chance.

Things, on the other hand, went off without a hitch. She became a muse for Karl Lagerfeld after appearing on the cover of French Elle magazine and making her Chanel debut, and he enthusiastically likened her to another style queen, Brigitte Bardot.

Schiffer’s career took a worldwide turn in the 1990s. She became a New York Fashion Week celebrity, acquired an L’Oréal deal, and became the face of the iconic eatery Fashion Café. Claudia was the highest-paid model in the world for many years, with Forbes magazine estimating her yearly earnings at $9 million in 2000.

Claudia’s look has remained mostly unchanged since the 1990s, when she became famed for her perfect figure of 90-60-90, standing 180 cm tall and weighing 60 kg. Claudia has maintained her fitness since then with rigorous exercises, adequate diet, and a healthy lifestyle. Water and excellent nourishment, according to the model, are the secrets to her physique. Sweets and quick meals are strictly prohibited.

Claudia is always stylish. Pants and sports shoes are rarely seen on her. Knee-length dresses and skirts are her go-to outfits. She also tries to include colors that complement her look into her regular wardrobe. Her blonde hair looks great with blue, crimson, and soft pink. The model loves to wear low-heeled shoes. On her feet, she appears more feminine and more ease.

Claudia Schiffer’s makeup now is conservative and neutral, with a hint of eyeliner, in contrast to the colorful 90s. The actress maintains her natural hair color and does not attempt to alter her appearance. She has the demeanor of a true German: orderly and systematic. With such a demeanor, it’s no surprise that the supermodel was named GQ magazine’s “Woman of the Year” for 2020.

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