When Laura’s mother Erica died, she left her with nothing but an old stroller and a filthy doll inside. Laura was disappointed, and she decided to sell it for a few dollars so she could pay her rent, but then she discovered something inside that changed her life.

Ben and Erica welcomed their first child Laura when they were young. Their second daughter Emily was a long-awaited baby, and sadly, when Erica was pregnant with her, Ben passed away due to a heart attack.

When little Emily was born, Laura adored her more than anything else in the world. She took care of her slightest needs and spent more time looking after her than Erica did. But then, Emily started growing, and their relationship changed.

Laura dreamed of becoming a fashion designer, but unfortunately, her desire wasn’t taken seriously by her mom. So the young girl moved to Manhattan, New York, and started working at a local sewing factory when she was 19.

Meanwhile, Emily didn’t want to work. She always got what she wanted from her mother, and Erica didn’t mind working all day to provide her daughter with everything she needed.

Laura was obviously envious of her younger sister getting their mother’s attention, but she never let it affect her relationship with Emily. She’d been looking after her like a responsible sister since she was a child, and she planned to continue doing so for the rest of her life.

However, one day, while Erica was returning from work, she unexpectedly died in a car accident. Laura flew over to say her final goodbyes to her beloved mother, but she was taken aback when she discovered her mother had left her with nothing but an old stroller and a filthy doll.

I am not a child, mom! How can you even do this? The young woman was furious and lashed out at Emily.

“Are you content now? You robbed me of everything and left me with nothing but a filthy stroller! Didn’t you ever suggest to Mom that we should each get an equal share?”

Emily sighed and rolled her eyes. “Well, sis, I had no idea she had a will. And even if I had known, I would not have recommended it. You were the one who decided to pursue a career in fashion design on your own and relocate to New York. Mom was right to leave you with nothing.”

Laura was stunned. “Wow, Emily. You really surprise me. Did you always hate me so much, or did it start after I moved out?”

“Calm down, Laura,” Emily said. “Mom or I never wanted to hurt your feelings. I am telling you I knew nothing about the will. Anyway, you can stay at the house for no more than a week. I’m planning on putting it up for sale and moving to a new apartment. So clear your stuff from the house ASAP.”

“What? Are you serious?” Laura was stunned. “It holds all of our childhood memories, Emily. How can you sell it like that? Mom would have never liked that!”

“Who cares what mom would have wanted now, Laura? Grow up! She’s dead, and we still have our lives to live. I’ve made up my mind, and nothing’s going to change it!”

Laura realized there was no point in explaining things to Emily. She was dead set on selling the house, and nothing could persuade her otherwise. Dejected, Laura left the house and walked away, pulling the old stroller behind her.

Laura stayed the night in a hotel and flew back to New York the following day. Upon arrival, she dumped the stroller in her apartment’s storage room, intending to sell it later and use the proceeds to pay her rent. She even severed her ties with Emily and changed her phone number so that her younger sister would no longer be able to contact her.

However, as time passed, Laura got immersed in work and she completely forgot about the stroller lying in her storeroom; in fact, the only time she brought it out was when she decided to shift to a new house when she was doing well financially.

Ten years had gone by then, and the stroller had deteriorated even further. Most of it was covered in spiderwebs and piles of dust, and some of the paint was also scraped off.

Laura cautiously pulled it out and sat on the living room sofa, cleaning it. Ahh… I still can’t believe you just left me with this, mom! Laura sighed. Did you really think I wasn’t worth anything else?

However, just as Laura removed the doll that came with the stroller and lifted the cushion, she discovered an envelope inside. She took the letter out of the envelope and began reading it.

“Dear Laura,” the letter said. “I hope you’re not angry with me because I abandoned you with an old stroller. Trust me, honey, I wasn’t partial to my daughters. The doll you see inside is worth thousands of dollars! It’s an antique doll for collectors. Remember how I mentioned my father’s passion for antiques? That’s how I ended up with this doll.

“As far as the stroller is concerned, it might not be a lot in terms of money, but it’s from your childhood, and I kept it as a reminder of the apple of my eye. So for me, it’s priceless. Yeah, I know what you’re wondering now: why did I leave the house to Emily? Well, you know she’s young and reckless, and I have feared my whole life what’ll happen to her if she doesn’t stand on her feet.

“As a result, I’ve left her the house so she can at least have a roof over her head. Please, honey, don’t let jealousy creep into your relationship, and take good care of your sister. I hope you buy a modern sewing machine with the money you make from selling the doll and prove me wrong by becoming a successful designer one day. Mumma loves you. With love, Erica.”

As Laura finished reading the letter, her eyes welled up. I’m sorry, mom! I wish I had seen the letter before. I’m sorry I wasn’t a good daughter to you, and I left my sister alone! But don’t worry mom, I’ll make things right! I promise!

Laura quickly grabbed her phone and dialed Emily’s number. However, the request went to voicemail, and Laura did never received a call back from her. Worried, she booked a flight to Florida the next morning to meet her sister.

But upon arrival, she discovered that Emily had actually sold the house to someone ten years ago and moved out. Unfortunately, nobody in the neighborhood knew where she relocated.

Dejected, Laura left the neighborhood and was on her way to the police station to report about her sister when her gaze was drawn to a woman parked across the street sitting cuddled up in a corner, begging for money.

Laura went up to her to give her some money, but as she took a closer look, she couldn’t believe her eyes! The shabbily dressed and frail-looking woman was her sister.

“Laura!” Emily cried as she looked up. “You finally came! I’m sorry about what happened last time. I needed your help, and I tried contacting you, but I couldn’t reach you. I got by with the money from the house sale, but I didn’t know what to do after that. Please help me, Laura!”

Laura couldn’t contain her tears when she saw her sister like that. “I’m sorry, Emily. I was furious after what happened with the will. I won’t leave you again. I’m really sorry.” She burst out crying and hugged her.

Later that evening, Laura took Emily to a hotel, washed her, and fed her. The two sisters flew back to New York the next morning, where Laura offered Emily a job at her sewing factory. And finally, what began as a love-hate relationship transformed into one of love and caring.

What can we learn from this story?

• Parents love their children equally, and their choices are made with their children’s best interests in mind. Erica’s division of her inheritance is an excellent example of this.
• Jealousy ruins relationships. Laura decided to cut all her connections with Emily after discovering her mother had left their home in Emily’s name, causing a rift between them that could have been avoided if not for her jealousy.