When Penelope’s father insisted she change her appearance to resemble her stepmother in order to get a share of her inheritance, it seemed like a cruel joke. But the real reason behind his request, revealed at a family gathering, left her shocked and in tears.
I need your help. Please. My name is Penelope, but everyone calls me Penny. Feel free to address me that way. I’ve never asked for advice online before, but I’m at my wit’s end. Everyone celebrates the Fourth of July with fireworks and barbecues, but all I get are fireworks exploding in my chest—and not happy fireworks. Because of my dad, my heart feels like it’s just been trampled by a herd of angry bulls…
A sad woman sitting on the sofa | Source: Pexels
Let me back up a bit. My parents, Charlie and Nina, divorced ten years ago in a violent, public argument that had the whole town talking. They haven’t spoken since, and things have been awkward ever since, to say the least. Dad remarried a woman named Eloise, and after that, I hardly saw him.
Sure, the bank sent us financial aid every month, but most of the time, I felt like Dad had simply… disappeared.
A woman signing divorce papers | Source: Pexels
It hurt, you know? But hey, I’m 22 now, and I guess I’m more of a mommy’s girl anyway. The reasons my parents split up don’t concern me, and that’s okay.
But that’s not why I’m here. It’s about something much stranger.
So, the other day, Dad called me on FaceTime out of the blue. He’s a man who usually communicates via carrier pigeons, so a video call was a shock in itself. But what he said next left me speechless.
A man making a video call on his smartphone | Source: Freepik
“Penny, honey,” he began, his voice tinged with mock sweetness. “Listen, I’m having a little get-together for the Fourth of July. Just the family, you know. And…” he trailed off, then got carried away, “I really need you to ‘fit in’ with the new family and seem more ‘proper.'”
Wait a minute. Fit in? With the new family I barely know? Before I could even ask what he meant by that, he launched into this strange request.
A young woman holding her phone | Source: Pexels
“I was thinking,” he continued, “that maybe you could… I don’t know, lighten the mood a little. You know, your mother-in-law, Eloise, she’s blonde, and…”
Ugh, here we go. Here come the Eloise comparisons. It’s like a broken record at this point.
“Dad,” I interrupted, “what are you getting at?”
An elderly man looking at his phone and smiling | Source: Freepik
He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Well,” he mumbled, “maybe you could consider… dyeing your hair blonde? Like Eloise? And those, uh, big ugly glasses you wear—maybe colored contacts instead?”
He hesitated again, but I knew what he was going to say. Those “big, ugly glasses” were my signature. They framed my face, you know? Without them, I feel exposed, like a book with its cover torn off.
“Change my appearance?” I jumped. “Dad, are you serious?”
An angry young woman frowning | Source: Pexels
“Listen, Penny,” he breathed, “I just want things to be… easier. You know, for everyone. And hey, if you do this, there’s something in it for you too.”
He hesitated, then said, “I’m rewriting my will, and let’s just say being more, uh, presentable might be beneficial in the long run.”
My jaw clenched. Beneficial? Was he saying I needed a makeover to get a share of his inheritance? My anger reached a boiling point.
An elderly man talking on the phone | Source: Freepik
“So I have to look like your trophy wife to be mentioned in your will?” I spat.
“Don’t overreact, Penny,” he whispered. “It’s not that big of a deal. Just a little dye job and some contact lenses. Think of it as an investment in your future.”
An investment? This isn’t about the stock market, Dad! This is about my identity! The call ended in a chaos of tears and screams, and let me tell you, I was experiencing an explosion of emotions inside.
An upset young woman staring at her phone | Source: Pexels
Furious, I stormed over to Mom’s house. She lived just down the street and, luckily, was home. As soon as I explained everything to her, her face hardened.
“Oh, honey,” she said, “I know exactly what’s going on here.”
She hugged me, and for a minute, that was all I needed.
A woman in distress | Source: Pexels
Then she walked away, saying, “Look, you should do what your dad wants. But trust me, there’s more to it than this makeover. Wear the dress I’ll give you. Show up to their Fourth of July party in this outfit, and see how things go.”
My stomach churned. The thought of changing my appearance just to please Dad left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“But Mom, I don’t even want to go,” I mumbled, burying my face in her shoulder.
An extremely upset young woman | Source: Pexels
She cupped my face in her hands. “I know, darling. But trust me, there’s a reason for all this. Go ahead, play along for now.”
Hesitantly, I accepted.
But the problem was, I didn’t want to bleach my precious black hair, so I bought a blonde wig from the store and some contact lenses.
A store selling fancy wigs | Source: Unsplash
On July 4th, I wore my mother’s dress, the one she had given me especially for that day, and I accentuated my appearance with the blonde wig and contact lenses. I looked so different, like a stranger staring back at me in the mirror.
After giving my mother a kiss on the cheek, I nervously climbed into the taxi and headed to Dad’s party. As I arrived, I smelled barbecue and roasting ribs. People were laughing and chatting, and I could hear Dad’s gruff voice towering over everyone.
A party in full swing | Source: Pexels
I nervously walked up to him and said, “Hi, Dad!”
I was expecting surprise, but he was SHOCKED when he turned around and saw me. He went completely pale. Then he made a long face and asked me, “Where did you get that stupid dress?!”
I practically wanted to crawl under a rock because I had no idea why he was reacting the way he did to seeing me in that dress.
An extremely scared man | Source: Midjourney
It was fine, although quite old, but it looked perfect and fresh from Mom’s wardrobe. I could still smell the mothballs despite applying my favorite English rose perfume. So you can imagine how long this dress had practically been sleeping in Mom’s wardrobe.
“Dad, what’s wrong?” I asked nervously, taking off my blonde wig.
That’s when I saw a side of him I’d never seen before. Dad’s eyes filled with tears, and he let them flow. I was so worried at that moment.
A young woman at a party | Source: Midjourney
“Where did you get that dress?” he repeated, his voice trembling.
“Mom gave it to me,” I replied, confused. “Why?”
Dad took a deep breath, struggling to speak. “Penny, that dress… Your mom wore it on our first date.”
My heart sank. “What?”
A shocked woman with tears in her eyes | Source: Pexels
He nodded, tears streaming down his face.
“I find it harder and harder to see you every year because you look just like your mom. The woman I loved deeply and had a huge, scandalous divorce with when you were only 12. I tried not to see you often because my heart ached every time I looked into your eyes and saw hers.”
I felt a lump in my throat. “Dad…”
A sad man covering his face | Source: Pexels
“I thought if you looked different, maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much. Maybe I could finally include you in my new family. But seeing you in that dress… It’s like I’m reliving it all again,” Dad said, his voice muffled.
I had tears in my eyes. “So, you wanted me to change my appearance because I remind you of Mom?”
Dad nodded, wiping away his tears. “I’m so sorry, Penny. I couldn’t tell you to your face. It hurt too much.”
A heartbroken woman in tears | Source: Pexels
I took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of anger and sadness.
“Dad, I can’t change who I am. I can’t pretend to be someone else just to make things easier for you. I’m your daughter, and I look just like Mom. That won’t change.”
He looked at me, his eyes filled with regret. “I know, Penny. I know. It’s just… I didn’t know how to handle it.”
An elderly man with a broken heart and a guilty look | Source: Pexels
I looked him in the eye and said, “You need to face your inner demons, Dad. You need to accept the fact that I look like Mom and move on. Because I’m not going to change who I am.”
Dad nodded slowly, his face expressing his pain and realization. “You’re right, Penny. I have to face this situation. I just didn’t know how to face it.”
A sad young woman closing her eyes | Source: Pexels
“I think you should talk to Mom too. Maybe it will help you both heal,” I said with a sigh.
He looked at me with a hint of hope. “Do you think she’d accept?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But it’s worth a try.”
Dad took a deep breath and nodded. “Thanks, Penny, for being honest with me.”
I gave him a small smile. The rest of the party was a blur.
People at a party | Source: Unsplash
I couldn’t concentrate on the laughter and conversations around me. In my head, I was only going over everything Dad had confessed. I kept glancing over at him, seeing him lost in thought, struggling with his emotions.
When the party was finally over, I went back to my mom’s house. She was waiting for me, a worried look on her face.
“How did it go?” she asked me kindly.
I sighed, feeling exhausted. “It was intense. Dad… He broke down. He told me everything.”
A young woman with a warm smile | Source: Pexels
Mom nodded, her eyes softening. “I thought he would. That’s why I gave you this dress.”
I looked at her, surprised. “Did you know this would trigger something in him?”
She smiled sadly. “I had a feeling as much. Sometimes we need a little help to face our past.”
I hugged her tightly, feeling a mixture of gratitude and sadness. “Thank you, Mom. For everything.”
She hugged me and whispered, “I’m proud of you, Penny. You handled it with grace.”
A sad woman | Source: Midjourney
As I stepped away, I felt hope. Maybe, just maybe, things would get better.
But you know what? I’m still angry. I’m angry that my father put me through this. I’m angry because he tried to make me into someone I’m not, simply because he couldn’t handle his own emotions.
An upset young woman with downcast eyes | Source: Pexels
It wasn’t fair. If he loved my mother so much, why leave her and start a new life? Why keep his distance from me just because I looked like the woman he once loved? Why force me into someone else’s shoes?
Tell me, was that right of him? What should I do? Should I try to reconcile with him? Or should I just let it go and move on? I need your advice. Please.
A heartbroken woman sitting by the window | Source: Pexels
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This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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