A woman named Susie shares her true story of hating her daughter, Nora, due to her beliefs about Nora's father, James. Susie and James were struggling financially, and when Susie became pregnant, James abandoned them. However, years later, Nora discovers a photo of her parents and decides to find her father. Despite Susie's disapproval, Nora develops a relationship with James, causing tension between Susie and Nora.
The situation escalates when James passes away, and Nora is devastated. However, James leaves a letter for Susie, explaining that he was diagnosed with cancer and didn't want to burden Susie with his illness. He also reveals that he sent Susie money through her boss, which she mistakenly thought was a raise, and later used to start her own business.
The letter changes Susie's perspective, and she realizes she misjudged James. Nora and Susie reconcile, and Susie regrets the time she spent hating her daughter and James. The story takes a turn from a tale of hatred to one of forgiveness, love, and understanding.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. The narrator, Susie, hated her daughter for a long time.
2. Susie and her husband James graduated from college but had trouble finding jobs.
3. Susie worked as a waitress to earn money while James looked for a job.
4. Susie was cut from her job and given a warning for stealing food.
5. Susie found out she was pregnant, which added to their financial struggles.
6. James left Susie after their daughter, Nora, was born.
7. Susie was left to raise Nora alone without a good job.
8. Susie managed to care for Nora despite the financial struggles.
9. Nora found a picture of her parents when she was 10 years old and started investigating her father's whereabouts.
10. Nora discovered that her father, James, was still alive and had been communicating with her for three years.
11. Susie was angry and felt betrayed by Nora's actions.
12. Nora went to spend the summer with James, which caused a fight between Susie and Nora.
13. James died a month after Nora visited him.
14. Nora gave Susie a letter from James, which explained his actions and apologized for his mistakes.
15. James had been diagnosed with cancer and left Susie to protect her from his illness.
16. James sent Susie money through her boss, which she thought was a raise.
17. James made his first million and sent the money to Susie to help her set up her dream business.
18. Susie used the money to start her business and live comfortably with Nora.
19. Susie forgave James and felt regret for hating him and Nora.
20. Susie and Nora reconnected after reading the letter from James.